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REMINISCENCES 

OF 

THE  CIVIL  WAR 


Compiled  from  the  War  Correspondence  of 

COLONEL  WILLIAM  P.  LYON 

and  from  personal  letters  and  diary 
By 

MRS.  ADELIA  C  LYON 


Published  by 

WILLIAM  P.  LYON,  JR. 

1907 


COPYRIGHTED,  1907,  BY 
ADELIA  C.  LYON 


PRESS    OF    MUIRSON     &    WRIGHT 


DEDICATION 


ALL  the  brave  boys  of  the  Thirteenth 
Regiment  of  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  and 
of  Company  K  of  the  Eagle  Regiment, 
who  consecrated  their  lives  with  patri 
otic  devotion  to  the  cause  of  their 
country,  this  record  of  some  of  their 
labors,  perils  and  sacrifices  for  the  pres 
ervation  of  the  Union,  is  dedicated  with 
tender  affection  and  gratitude  by  one 
who  witnessed  their  heroic  fidelity  to 
duty  and  who  was  the  grateful  recipient  of  many 
thoughtful  acts  of  kindness  on  their  part  when,  for  many 
months,  she  shared  with  them  the  privations  and  vicissi 
tudes  of  army  life  endured  by  soldiers  in  active  service. 


INTRODUCTORY 


[ERE  this  publication  intended  to  add  an 
other  volume  to  the  long  and  ever  in 
creasing  list  of  books  relating  to  our 
civil  war  of  1861-65,  and  the  actors 
therein,  written  for  general  circulation, 
some  reasonable  cause  therefor  would 
justly  be  due  a  patient  public.  But  such  is  not  the  pur 
pose  and  intent  of  the  publication. 

My  husband  served  as  an  officer  in  the  Union  army 
during  the  war.  The  first  year  he  commanded  Com 
pany  K  of  the  8th  Regiment,  and  the  three  years  fol 
lowing  he  commanded  the  13th  Regiment,  both  of  the 
Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  in  active  ser 
vice  in  the  field  during  the  whole  time.  The  matter 
contained  in  this  publication  is  taken  mostly  from  his 
letters  to  me  written  while  he  was  doing  duty  in  the 
South. 

It  was  my  good  fortune  to  be  permitted  to  visit  my 
husband  several  times  during  the  war,  remaining  with 
him  and  his  command  several  months  at  a  time  in  Ten 
nessee  and  Alabama,  and  for  a  less  time  in  Missouri.  I 
was  thus  with  the  army  in  those  states  about  a  year  and 
a  half  in  all. 

I  have  compiled  in  this  volume  some  of  my  own  let 
ters  to  relatives  and  friends  written  while  with  the 
army,  and  others  written  by  my  husband  to  the  same 
parties;  also  certain 'entries  in  my  diary  made  during 
such  visits. 

Nearly  all  the  letters  which  furnish  material  for  the 
following  pages  were  written  in  camp  or  on  the  march,  in 
the  hurry  and  tumult  of  active  military  service  in  the 
field,  under  numerous  adverse  conditions  inseparable 
from  such  service,  and  without  a  thought  that  their 


INTRODUCTORY. 


contents  would  ever  be  given  to  the  public.  Many  of 
the  statements  therein  were  necessarily  made  upon  re 
ports,  the  accuracy  of  which  there  was  no  opportunity 
to  verify;  and  some  of  the  opinions  therein  expressed 
may  have  been  the  result  of  imperfect  knowledge  of 
the  situation.  It  is  too  late  now  to  attempt  their  cor 
rection  or  to  verify  their  accuracy.  Hence  such  state 
ments,  when  not  verified  by  the  writer's  personal 
knowledge,  and  such  opinions,  must  be  taken  subject  to 
all  infirmities  in  the  evidence  upon  which  they  were 
made  or  formed. 

My  purpose  is  to  present  a  copy  of  this  publication 
to  each  surviving  comrade  of  my  husband  who  served 
with  him  in  the  war  as  a  member  of  either  of  his  im 
mediate  commands,  who  desires  to  have  it.  This  pur 
pose  will  be  executed  not  because  the  volume  has  much 
intrinsic  value,  but  in  grateful  recognition  of  the  life 
long  affection  those  veteran  comrades  have  constantly 
manifested  for  their  old  commander;  and  for  their  un 
ceasing  kindness  to  me  and  solicitude  for  my  personal 
welfare  and  comfort  when  I  was  with  them  in  the  field 
of  service — a  witness  of  their  patriotism,  courage  and 
fidelity  to  duty.  I  trust  that  this  little  souvenir  will  be 
accepted  by  them  as  an  evidence  that  all  of  their  kind 
ness  to  us  is  appreciated  and  their  affection  tenderly 
reciprocated. 

I  have  only  to  add  that  this  publication  has  been 
made  possible  only  by  the  valuable  aid  given  me  by  our 
daughter,  Mrs.  J.  O.  Hayes  (Clara  Lyon),  of  Eden  Vale, 
California,  who  has  done  much  of  the  editorial  work 
required  in  its  preparation. 

Pursuant  to  a  suggestion  made  by  her,  some  public 
addresses  delivered  by  her  father  several  years  ago  are 
inserted  herein  as  an  appendix. 

ADELIA  C.  LYON. 


COLONEL   WILLIAM   P.   LYON 

Racine,    Wisconsin,    1863 


REMINISCENCES 

OF  THE 

CIVIL  WAR 


The  Experiences  of 
William  P.  Lyon  and  Wife 

S  SOON  as  the  news  of  the  battle  and 
disaster  at  Bull  Kun  was  received  a  pub- 
lie  war  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Racine, 
Wisconsin,  was  held,  which  was  largely 
attended.  The  company  previously 
raised  at  Racine  was  in  the  battle  and 
had  been  seriously  crippled  by  the  loss 
of  many  of  its  men.  At  this  meeting  a  fund  was  sub 
scribed  to  aid  in  the  fitting  out  of  additional  troops. 
Resolutions  were  adopted,  one  of  which  was  that  it  was 
the  duty  of  the  city  of  Racine  to  furnish  another  com 
pany  of  volunteers.  Mr.  McMynn,  Mr.  Bartlett  and  Mr. 
Lyon  were  appointed  a  committee  to  receive  enlistments 
and  form  a  company.  The  three  headed  the  roll  with 
their  own  names,  which  were  soon  followed  by  many 
others. 

An  effort  was  also  being  made  to  form  a  company 
in  Walworth  county.  Those  who  had  enlisted  there, 
hearing  of  the  effort  to  raise  a  new  company  in  Racine 
county,  came  to  Racine  and  joined  the  local  company, 
and  the  quota  was  thus  speedily  filled.  Mr.  Lyon  was 
elected  Captain  of  the  Company,  Hon.  Albert  E.  Smith, 
of  Delavan,  First  Lieutenant,  and  Mr.  J.  O.  Bartlett, 
Second  Lieutenant.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  McMvnn  had 


2  REMINISCENCES 

accepted  a  commission  as  Major  of  the  10th  Wisconsin, 
of  which  regiment  he  afterwards  became  Colonel. 

The  company  thus  recruited  and  organized  tendered 
its  services  to  the  Governor  and  was  accepted;  its  of 
ficers  thus  elected  were  commissioned  as  such,  and  the 
company  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  Camp  Randall  at 
Madison  to  join  the  8th  Regiment  of  Wisconsin  Volun 
teer  Infantry,  then  in  process  of  organization  at  that 
place,  of  which  it  was  to  be  a  part.  The  company  im 
mediately  proceeded  to  Madison  and  was  mustered  into 
the  service  of  the  United  States  as  Company  "K"  of  that 
regiment. 

After  remaining  a  few  weeks  at  Camp  Randall 
under  instruction  in  military  tactics,  the  regiment  was 
ordered  to  St.  Louis.  Its  movements  and  services 
thereafter  while  Captain  Lyon  remained  a  member  of  it 
are  detailed  in  the  following  pages : 

CAPTAIN  LYON  TO  THE  RACINE  ADVOCATE. 

"Camp  of  Instruction,  Benton  Barracks, 

St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Oct.  15,  1861. 

"Messrs.  Editors:  On  Saturday  evening  last  our 
regiment  struck  tents  at  Camp  Randall  and  started  for 
the  seat  of  war.  We  reached  Chicago  at  4  o'clock  p.  m. ; 
left  there  at  about  8  o'clock  p.  m. ;  arrived  at  Illinois 
Town,  opposite  St.  Louis,  at  8  o'clock  Sunday  evening, 
and  the  next  morning  crossed  the  river;  marched  some 
four  or  five  miles  through  the  city  in  a  northwest  direc 
tion,  and  arrived  at  this  camp  a  little  before  noon. 

"Our  journey  here  was  a  very  pleasant  one.  The 
weather  was  fine,  and  we  were  greeted  by  people  along 
the  whole  route,  and  especially  for  the  last  one  hundred 
miles  of  it  and  in  this  city,  with  much  enthusiasm.  We 
had  what  the  newspapers  call  'a  brilliant  reception,'  in 
Chicago.  It  consisted  mainly  in  being  stared  at  by  a 


OF   THE  CIVIL  WAR 


large  number  of  people,  some  few  of  whom  cheered  us 
as  we  marched  through  the  city. 

"Sunday  was  a  balmy,  beautiful  day — very  beau 
tiful — and  we  traversed  all  day  long  a  magnificent 
country,  and  as  we  gazed  upon  it  and  remembered  that 
Illinois  has  sent,  and  is  sending  forth,  50,000  of  her 
sons  to  do  battle  in  the  sacred  cause  of  Liberty  and 
Good  Government,  we  felt  that  we  were  in  a  glorious 
state — in  a  state  which,  when  the  history  of  these  times 
is  written,  will  figure  conspicuously  and  honorably 
upon  its  pages. 

"This  camp  is  pleasantly  located  on  high,  level 
ground,  embracing  several  hundred  acres,  including  the 
grounds  of  the  Missouri  State  Agricultural  Society,  in 
the  west  part  of  the  city,  and,  I  am  told,  also  including 
within  its  limits  the  celebrated  Camp  Jackson,  where 
Lyon  and  Blair  captured  Claib.  Jackson's  rebel  state 
troops  last  spring. 

"Yesterday  was  a  very  warm  day,  as  warm,  I  think, 
as  the  last  4th  of  July  in  Kacine,  and  the  men  suffered 
much  on  the  march  to  camp,  burdened  as  they  were 
with  their  overcoats,  canteens,  haversacks,  knapsacks 
and  guns ;  but  they  stood  it  very  well,  and  last  evening 
many  of  them  were  dancing  in  their  quarters  so  briskly 
that  a  bystander  would  scarcely  believe  that  they  had 
on  the  same  day  performed  a  fatiguing  march  of  several 
miles  through  the  heated,  dusty  streets  of  a  city,  and 
that,  too,  at  the  end  of  a  journey  of  400  miles.  The  mem 
bers  of  our  company  are  all  well,  or  nearly  so.  At  least 
we  have  none  in  the  hospital,  and  no  case  of  serious  ill- 
ress. 

"11  a,  in. — We  have  just  received  orders  to  take  five 
days'  rations  and  20  ball  cartridges,  and  to  leave  here 
at  9  o'clock  tomorrow  morning.  The  right  wing  of  the 
regiment  goes  at  4  o'clock  this  afternoon.  Where  our 
destination  is,  and  what  we  have  to  do  when  we  get 


REMINISCENCES 


there,  we  know  nothing  about;  but  you  will  hear  from 
us  again.  The  men  are  delighted  with  the  prospect  of 
immediate  service,  which  they  testify  by  loud  shouts  and 
cheers.  Busy  preparations  for  departure  are  going  on 
throughout  the  regiment,  and  I  must  bring  this  hastily 
written  communication  to  a  close. 

WM.  P.  LYON." 


LETTERS  FROM  CAPT.  LYON  TO  MRS.  LYON. 

"De  Soto— October  17,  1861. 

"We  are  forty  miles  from  St.  Louis,  southwest,  and 
just  leaving  for  Pilot  Knob,  forty-two  miles  farther 
southwest.  We  are  in  'Secessia.'  Last  night  we  slept  on 
the  ground  with  our  arms  by  us.  We  had  the  whole  regi 
ment  in  line  three  times  during  the.  night,  by  reason  of 
alarms.  By  reason  of  this  practice  we  could  form  the 
line  in  three  minutes.  A  bridge  on  a  railroad  we  traveled 
on  was  burned  on  Monday  by  the  rebels,  and  they  had  a 
little  fight  there  with  a  small  guard  from  the  llth  Wis 
consin,  one  killed  on  our  side.  I  do  not  believe  the  enemy 
are  near  us  in  force.  Where  we  go  there  will  be  four  or 
five  thousand  troops  when  we  get  there." 

"Pilot  Knob,  Saturday,  Oct.  19,  1861.— We  arrived 
here  on  Thursday  afternoon.  This  place  is  ninety  miles 
southwest  of  St.  Louis.  Iron  ton  is  only  two  miles  from 
here.  The  country  is  rough,  wild  and  mountainous.  Pilot 
Knob  is  a  conical  hill,  rising  some  eight  hundred  feet 
above  us.  There  are  also  extensive  lead  mines  in  the 
vicinity.  I  wrote  you  at  De  Soto,  forty  miles  from  here. 
We  came  on  to  where  the  bridge  across  Big  River  was 
burned,  and  my  company  and  another  were  sent  on  here 
in  advance  of  the  rest  of  the  regiment.  Col.  Murphy, 
\vho  was  with  us,  had  a  telegram  from  here  saying  the 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR 


rebels  were  advancing  on  this  place.  We  hurried  up, 
the  train  running  with  frightful  velocity,  and  when  we 
got  here  the  inhabitants  were  running  from  the  place  to 
the  hills  and  everybody  said  a  battle  was  being  fought 
three  or  four  miles  out.  We  expected  to  be  sent  right 
on.  It  was  concluded,  however,  that  we  should  wait  for 
the  balance  of  the  regiment,  which  had  been  sent  for  in 
great  haste.  Before  they  arrived  we  learned  the  facts 
about  the  fight.  It  was  a  mere  skirmish,  some  twenty 
miles  from  here,  between  three  hundred  Indiana  cavalry 
stationed  here  and  a  detachment  of  cavalry  from  the 
rebel  army.  Five  or  six  men  wounded  on  our  side,  none 
killed.  Several  reported  killed  on  the  other  side. 

"There  are  about  four  thousand  troops  here.  The 
men  are  all  anxious  to  fight.  It  is  impossible  to  foretell 
our  future  movements.  Do  not  be  disturbed  by  any 
newspaper  reports  about  us.  One  of  the  St.  Louis  papers 
yesterday  puts  us  in  a  battle  here  and  has  us  badly  cut 
up.  That  is  a  fair  specimen  of  their  accuracy.  I  was  in 
more  danger  on  the  cars  Thursday  than  I  shall  be  in  any 
battle.  When  I  see  the  misery  and  suffering  which  I  see 
this  war  causes  here,  I  thank  God  that  you  are  all  in 
peaceful  homes  and  that  the  trials  and  perils  of  the  con 
test,  so  far  as  you  are  concerned,  can  be  borne  by  me 
alone." 

"Pilot  Knob,  Mo.,  Oct.  25,  1861.— Were  ordered  to 
Frederickstown  (25  miles  southeast  of  here).  Marched 
all  night  through  a  mountainous  country.  We  were 
after  Jeff  Thompson,  who  had  a  large  force.  Our  force 
was  nearly  5,000  strong.  When  we  got  there  we  found 
that  Jeff  had  left  the  day  before  and  gone  south.  We 
Avere  joined  here  by  1,500  Illinois  troops  from  Cape  Gir- 
ardeau.  Our  regiment  was  on  the  left  flank,  the  second 
post  of  honor,  so  on  the  march  would,  of  course,  be  in 
the  rear.  The  head  of  the  column  met  the  rebels  about 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  town,  and  just  as  our  regi- 


REMINISCENCES 


ment  was  starting.  The  rebels  had  gone  on  ten  miles 
south,  were  reinforced  and  returned,  and  took  a  position 
at  that  point  to  fight  us.  They  were  5,000  to  7,000  strong. 

"The  fight  opened  immediately  at  the  head  of  the 
column  and  we  started  on  a  double  quick  for  the  battle 
field.  When  about  half  way  to  the  scene  of  action  we 
were  ordered  to  act  as  a  reserve.  The  firing  continued 
about  half  an  hour  where  the  battle  commenced,  then 
gradually  receded,  showing  that  the  rebels  were  retreat 
ing.  The  battle  was  fought  mostly  by  artillery  and  cav 
alry,  but  one  regiment  of  infantry  being  under  fire,  the 
21st  Illinois.  Our  forces  pursued  the  rebels  several 
miles.  The  grand  result  of  the  fight  is  that  we  killed  at 
least  300  of  them.  Our  forces  found  and  buried  242,  and 
large  numbers  were  carried  off  by  them.  A  great  many 
were  wounded  and  taken  prisoners.  Two  pieces  of  artil 
lery  were  also  taken.  Our  loss  is  eight  killed  and  thirty- 
three  wounded.  The  defeat  was  total,  breaking  up  their 
army  and  cleaning  out  this  whole  section  of  the  state. 
One  of  their  principal  officers,  Col.  Lowe,  was  killed. 

"We  moved  south  10  miles  on  Tuesday,  but  we  as 
certained  that  there  was  nobody  in  this  section  to  fight 
us,  so  on  Wednesday  we  returned  to  Prederickstown,  and 
yesterday  returned  here.  We  have  slept  in  tents  but  two 
nights  since  we  left  St.  Louis,  yet  I  never  slept  better  in 
my  life  than  I  have  some  of  these  nights  in  the  open  air. 
The  days  are  hot  and  the  nights  are  cold,  yet  we  do  not 
take  cold. 

"Our  regiment  is  No.  1.  The  men  started  for  the 
battle  with  the  utmost  enthusiasm  and  were  terribly  dis 
appointed  when  they  found  the  rebels  were  retreating 
without  giving  us  a  chance  at  them.  Our  position  was 
such  that  had  the  force  first  engaged  met  a  reverse,  we 
should  have  had  the  brunt  of  the  fight.  The  rebels  were 
poorly  armed,  which  accounts  for  the  great  difference 
of  loss  on  our  side  and  theirs.  We  found  a  great  many 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR 


bodies  on  our  march  on  Tuesday,  one  badly  eaten  by 
bogs.  Another  was  shot  just  as  he  was  getting  over  a 
fence,  and  his  body  was  stiffened  in  that  condition.  We 
buried  them. 

"Our  march  was  through  a  rugged  country,  hilly, 
rocky,  and  almost  mountainous.  We  have  returned  here, 
but  don't  know  how  long  we  shall  stay.  Our  men  are 
footsore,  but  otherwise  well.  Today  received  your  first 
letter.  Was  overjoyed  to  get  it. 

"You  ask  me  how  I  felt  when  going  into  battle.  It 
is  hard  to  analyze  my  feelings.  I  did  not  forget  the  dan 
ger  to  myself,  but  I  was  cool  and  self-possessed.  The  pre 
dominant  thought  was  that  probably  many  of  the  brave 
men  who  followed  me  would  never  return,  and  I  won 
dered — if  I  came  out  alive — over  which  of  them  the  scald 
ing  tears  would  fall  ere  the  sun  should  set.  The  roar  of 
artillery,  the  rattling  of  musketry,  and  the  sight  of 
wounded  and  dead  men  was  very  solemn.  It  was  neces 
sary,  however,  and  I  take  my  full  share  of  responsibility ; 
although,  of  course,  none  fell  by  my  hand." 

"Nov.  5,  1861. — We  are  ordered  to  march  to  Green 
ville.  I  think  there  will  be  no  fighting — just  to  show  the 
Secesh  that  we  are  about.  I  expect  that  we  shall  be  gone 
30  or  12  days." 


CAPTAIN  LYON  TO  RACINE  ADVOCATE. 

"Greenville,  Wayne  Co.,  Mo. 

Tuesday,  Nov.  12,  1861. 

"Editor  Advocate :  By  looking  at  the  map  you  will 
see  that  this  place  is  about  40  miles  south  of  Pilot  Knob, 
and  nearly  west  of  Cairo.  In  company  with  a  detach 
ment  of  some  300  of  Col.  Baker's  1st  Indiana  Cavalry,  a 
battery  of  artillery  from  Col.  Blair's  1st  Missouri  Regi- 


REMINISCENCES 


ment,  under  command  of  Capt.  Manter,  and  the  21st 
Regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteers,  Col.  Alexander,  we  left 
Pilot  Knob  on  the  5th  inst.  for  the  purpose  of  paying 
our  respects  to  a  rebel  force  reported  to  have  gathered 
at  Bloomfield,  the  county  seat  of  Stoddard  county,  dis 
tant  from  this  place  fifty  miles  in  a  southeast  direction. 

"We  arrived  here  on  the  7th,  and  on  the  8th  and  9th 
(Friday  and  Saturday)  marched  to  the  Indian  Ford,  25 
miles,  in  the  northeast  part  of  Butler  county,  on  the  St. 
Francis  river.  On  Sunday  morning  we  were  ordered  to 
turn  back  and  retrace  our  steps,  and  we  arrived  at  this 
place  again  at  10  o'clock  this  morning,  having  marched 
ninety  miles  in  a  week.  It  is  understood  that  the  com 
mander  of  the  expedition  received  reliable  intelligence 
that  the  rebels  had  dispersed,  which  rendered  it  unneces 
sary  to  proceed  to  Bloomfield. 

"On  our  arrival  here  we  met  the  Illinois  38th,  which 
had  been  ordered  to  follow  us.  We  expect  to  remain  here 
a  few  days  and  then  return  to  Pilot  Knob,  from  whence, 
it  is  generally  believed,  we  shall  soon  go  to  Kentucky. 

"Our  first  two  days'  march  was  through  a  rugged, 
mountainous  and  sterile  country;  the  last  three  was 
through  a  better  country,  yet  we  saw  but  few  farms 
which  a  Wisconsin  man  would  consider  worth  cultivat 
ing.  The  surface,  except  in  a  few  narrow  valleys,  seems 
to  be  underlaid  with  rock  and  uncultivable.  Timber  of 
all  kinds  is  plentiful. 

"Everything  is  perfectly  stagnant.  The  dwellings 
are  the  worst  kind  of  log  houses,  except  in  the  villages, 
and  you  see  no  barns,  no  carriages,  no  farming  imple 
ments,  even,  of  any  account.  I  have  seen  but  one  barn 
worthy  the  name  during  the  whole  march.  You  may 
travel  all  day  here,  probably,  without  meeting  a  settler 
who  can  read  or  write. 

"A  resident  here,  a  gentleman  of  intelligence,  con 
versing  on  this  subject,  illustrated  the  ignorance  of  the 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  9 


masses  by  relating  to  me  an  anecdote  of  a  member  of 
the  Legislature  from  this  county  who  was  asked  to  state 
the  population  of  his  county.  He  replied,  'Coonskins 
and  peltry.'  'I  do  not  mean  the  products  of  your  county/ 
said  his  interrogator,  <I  want  to  know  the  census  of  it.' 
<Oh,  you  mean  the  senses,  do  you?'  replied  the  Honorable 
Member,  'why,  they  are  mostly  d — d  fools  P 

"Greenville  is  the  county  seat  of  Wayne  county,  and 
has  been  such  for  35  years.  It  is  very  pleasantly  situ 
ated  on  the  St.  Francis  river,  and  contains  buildings  suf 
ficient  for  a  population  of  about  100.  In  common  with 
all  the  villages  in  this  county,  however,  it  is  nearly  de 
serted.  Hardee  made  it  his  headquarters  for  several 
weeks  in  the  summer,  when  the  Union  men  fled ;  and  now 
that  we  occupy  the  place,  'Secesh'  has  to  do  the  same 
thing. 

"Most  of  the  people,  however,  are  passive.  They  are 
for  the  Union  now,  and  doubtless  when  the  rebels  were 
here  they  were  on  the  other  side;  and  after  seeing  them 
we  think  it  is  of  but  little  consequence  which  side  they 
are  on. 

"Our  troops  respect  the  rights  of  property,  taking 
comparatively  little  without  compensation.  The  truth  of 
history  compels  me  to  admit,  however,  that  a  process 
which  the  soldiers  call  'jerking'  has  been  indulged  in  to 
a  trifling  extent,  when  we  were  in  the  neighborhood  of 
pigs  and  chickens,  and  rations  were  scarce. 

"We  are  having  the  measles  extensively  in  the  8th. 
We  left  three  of  our  company  at  Pilot  Knob  just  getting 
over  this  disease,  and  have  several  with  us  who  were  at 
tacked  after  we  left  there.  It  is  of  a  mild  type,  however. 
Those  who  have  this  disease,  or  have  had  it,  are  Mack, 
Olp,  Lowe,  Humphrey,  McPherson,  Dunham  and  Oster- 
lough.  Their  relatives  need  not  be  uneasy  about  them,  as 
they  are  well  cared  for  and  are  not  dangerously  sick. 

"The  weather  is  very  warm  and  dry.    At  Pilot  Knob, 


10  REMINISCENCES 

which  you  know  is  amongst  the  mountains,  the  nights 
were  invariably  cold ;  but  here  in  a  lower  region  they  are 
comfortably  warm.  Indeed,  it  seems  more  like  Septem 
ber  than  November.  We  pitch  our  tents  every  night  and 
sleep  upon  the  ground,  with  nothing  but  our  rubber  cloth 
under  us  and  our  blankets  over  us,  and  our  sleep  is  sound 
and  refreshing.  We  eat  our  Pilot  bread  or  hard  tack 
and  pork  with  a  keen  relish,  and  we  give  up  the  comforts 
and  luxuries  of  our  homes  with  much  less  of  regret,  and 
adapt  ourselves  to  our  new  mode  of  life  much  more  eas 
ily  than  we  supposed  possible. 

"I  neglected  to  mention  that  our  camp  at  Pilot  Knob 
and  about  200  of  our  regiment  are  left  under  the  com 
mand  of  Lieut.  Bartlett  during  our  absence. 

"Dr.  Murta  takes  this  to  Pilot  Knob,  where  he  goes 
to  make  arrangements  for  the  accommodation  of  our  sick 
men.  The  doctor  labors  day  and  night  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duties,  and  his  services  are  invaluable  to  the  regi 
ment. 

Respectfully, 

WM.  P.  LYON." 


LETTERS  FROM  CAPT.  LYON  TO  MRS.  LYON. 

"Pilot  Knob,  Nov.  15,  1861. — We  have  just  returned 
from  our  expedition,  making  a  march  of  135  miles  in  11 
days.  We  went  south  to  Greenville,  the  county  seat  of 
Wayne  county;  and  then  25  miles  farther  southeast  to 
the  St.  James  river,  only  25  miles  from  the  Arkansas  line. 
We  have  been  here  just  four  weeks,  and  have  marched 
16  days,  and  over  200  miles,  in  the  time. 

"I  assure  you  that  I  have  an  abiding  faith  that  I 
shall  return  to  you  well  and  sound,  our  lives  made  all 
the  happier  by  the  consciousness  that  I  have  discharged 
my  duty  to  my  country  in  the  hour  of  her  peril." 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  11 

"Nov.  19. — Nothing  of  interest  today  or  since  I 
wrote.  I  celebrated  the  fourteenth  anniversary  of  our 
wedding  yesterday  by  going  dressed  up  all  day  and  by 
smoking  the  best  cigars  I  could  get." 


EXTRACT  PROM  LETTER  TO  THE  RACINE  ADVOCATE. 

"Pilot  Knob,  Mo.,  Nov.  21,  1861.— On  the  5th  inst, 
in  company  with  the  21st  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volun 
teers,  the  1st  Indiana  Cavalry,  and  Ca.pt.  Manter's  Bat 
tery  of  artillery,  we  left  our  camp  on  an  expedition  to 
disperse  a  body  of  armed  rebels  said  to  have  collected 
in  Bloomfield,  in  Stoddard  county,  about  100  miles 
southeast  of  this  place. 

"We  marched  through  Greenville,  Wayne  county,  to 
the  Indian  Ford  across  the  St.  Francis  river,  in  the 
northeast  part  of  Butler  county,  and  about  25  miles 
west  of  Bloomfield,  where  we  learned  that  the  rebels  had 
already  been  dispersed  by  a  force  from  Cape  Girardeau. 
We  accordingly  took  our  our  line  of  march  for  this  place, 
where  we  arrived  on  the  15th  inst. 

"The  country  through  which  we  passed  is  very  wild 
and  mountainous,  and  but  thinly  settled.  The  majority 
of  the  people  are  very  stupid,  ignorant,  dirty,  and,  of 
course,  poor.  They  are  probably  a  fair  specimen  of  the 
'poor  whites'  of  the  South.  It  was  rarely  that  we  found 
one  outside  of  the  villages  who  could  read  and  write. 
Many  of  them  had  been  made  to  believe  that  the  Federal 
troops  wherever  they  went  indulged  in  indiscriminate 
rapine,  violence  and  murder,  and,  of  course,  these  de 
luded  people  were  secessionists;  but  when  they  found 
themselves  kindly  treated  by  our  troops,  their  property 
and  all  of  their  rights  protected,  they  straightway  be 
came  good  Union  people.  With  the  exception  of  a  few 


12  REMINISCENCES 

leaders,  there  is  no  inveterate  hostility  to  the  Govern 
ment  in  the  minds  of  the  inhabitants  here;  and  when 
they  are  disabused  in  relation  to  the  objects  of  this  war 
and  the  purposes  of  the  Government,  they  return  read 
ily  and  cheerfully  to  their  allegiance. 

"We  see  much  discussion  in  the  papers  relative  to 
the  removal  of  Major-General  Fremont,  some  of  them 
predicting  disaster  and  ruin  to  the  Union  cause  as  the 
result  of  it.  It  is  proper  for  me  to  say  that,  so  far  as  I 
can  judge  (and  I  have  some  opportunities  to  learn  the 
feeling  of  the  army  in  Missouri  on  that  subject) the  army 
acquiesces  in  the  action  of  the  Government  without  com 
plaint.  We  believe  here  that  the  success  of  our  cause 
does  not  depend  upon  the  rise  or  fall  of  any  man  or  set 
of  men,  but,  under  God,  upon  the  justice  of  our  cause 
and  the  courage  and  fortitude  of  the  hundreds  of  thou 
sands  of  men  who  are  now  in  the  field  defending  that 
cause.  In  those  we  trust,  and  not  in  the  genius  of  any 
one  man ;  and  we  are  ready  to  do  battle  under  such  com 
manders  as  the  Administration  of  our  own  choice  may 
place  over  us. 

"In  closing  this  rather  desultory  communication,  I 
will  only  add  that  the  men  are  in  excellent  spirits  and  in 
good  fighting  trim,  and  their  most  earnest  desire  is  that 
they  be  sent  where  they  can  do  their  part  towards  crush 
ing  out  this  rebellion.  When  the  record  of  this  war  is 
made  up,  be  assured  that  it  will  be  found  that  the  8th 
Hegiment  has  done  its  whole  duty. 

Respectfully  yours, 

WM.  P.  LYON." 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  13 

TO  MRS.  LYON. 

"Nov.  27,  1861. — Good  news.  Col.  Murphy  is  going 
to  send  me  home  on  recruiting  service.  I  shall  be  with 
you  in  a  few  days." 

"Sulphur  Springs,  Mo.,  Dec.  1,  1861. — The  arrange 
ments  are  not  completed  yet,  but  progressing.  There  is 
every  reasonable  probability  that  I  shall  be  detailed  on 
this  service.  The  service  is  very  distasteful  to  me.  The 
prospect  of  returning  home  atones  for  the  irksomeness 
of  the  service.  I  see  by  your  letters  that  you  are  worry 
ing  about  me.  Now  I  tell  you  that  I  am  perfectly  com 
fortable  physically.  I  have  a  good  boarding  place,  at 
$3.00  a  week.  I  sleep  in  my  tent  and  never  slept  better. 
I  have  a  feather  bed,  given  to  me  at  Indian  Ford  by  one 
of  the  teamsters,  who,  I  presume,  stole  it.  I  have  plenty 
of  blankets  and  straw.  I  enjoy  the  company  of  the  of 
ficers.  I  have  never  regretted  for  one  moment  that  I  en 
tered  the  service ;  and  had  I  not  done  so,  with  my  present 
views  of  duty  I  would  volunteer  tomorrow.  The  idea  of 
personal  danger  to  me,  which  haunts  you  so  much,  does 
not  disturb  me  at  all.  You  must  be  brave.  You  must 
be  a  true  woman,  for  remember  you  are  a  soldier's  wife. 
Let  us  both  be  willing  to  peril  all,  if  necessary,  in  the 
discharge  of  our  duty." 

"Sulphur  Springs,  Mo.,  Dec.  6,  1861.— I  fear  I  shall 
be  unable  to  come  home.  General  Halleck  has  issued 
orders  that  all  officers  be  with  their  regiments.  See  Mrs. 
Bartlett  and  tell  her  to  hold  herself  in  readiness  to  come 
here  with  you  on  two  days'  notice.  The  weather  is  as 
warm  as  June." 

"Dec.  8. — I  can  not  come  home.  We  want  you  to 
start  on  Thursday.  Come  as  soon  as  you  can." 


14  REMINISCENCES 

We  started  the  next  week  on  Tuesday.  I  had  to  go 
to  the  military  headquarters  in  Chicago  to  get  our  trans 
portation.  We  stayed  in  St.  Louis  all  night.  We  ar 
rived  in  Victoria  a  few  days  before  Christmas  and  met 
with  a  warm  reception.  The  regiment  had  been  sent  to 
Victoria  from  Sulphur  Springs  to  guard  a  number  of 
bridges  on  the  Iron  Mountain  Railroad,  after  they  sent 
for  us. 

Mrs.  Bartlett  and  I  went  out  and  bought  chickens 
and  potatoes  for  a  Christmas  dinner  for  Company  K. 
The  boys  were  very  happy  to  be  remembered.  We  were 
at  a  pretty  fair  hotel  and  had  more  comforts  than  we 
expected  to  have.  Our  babies  were  great  pets.  John 
Humphrey  would  often  come  and  borrow  my  baby  and 
take  him  out  to  the  company.  He  told  me  that  some  of 
the  men  shed  tears  when  they  kissed  him. 

The  regiment  remained  at  Victoria  until  about  Jan. 
12.  Our  husbands  went  to  Sulphur  Springs  with  us, 
and  we  stayed  there  a  couple  of  days.  They  were  ordered 
to  Cairo.  We  left  them  at  Sulphur  Springs.  The  regi 
ment  moved  a  few  days  after.  The  boat  they  were 
going  on  got  on  a  sand  bar,  so  they  went  by  railroad. 


TO  MRS.  LYON. 

"Cairo,  Sat.,  Jan.  18,  1862.— We  arrived  here  last 
night,  slept  in  the  cars,  and  have  this  moment  taken 
possession  of  the  barracks.  Do  not  know  when  we  shall 
go.  It  rained,  thundered  and  lightened  all  night.  The 
storms  here  are  terrific.  I  never  saw  mud  before.  It  is 
sublime  beyond  description.  The  mud  here  is  ankle 
deep  everywhere  off  the  sidewalks,  and  you  may  judge 
what  sort  of  traveling  it  is." 

"Cairo,  Sun.,  Jan.  19,  1862. — Cairo  is  on  a  very  low 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  15 

peninsula  at  the  junction  of  two  rivers,  and  has  a  levee 
all  around  it  to  protect  it  in  high  water,  the  surface 
being  some  feet  below  high  water  mark.  Cairo  contains 
about  2,000  inhabitants  I  think,  but  how  they  live  here  is 
more  than  I  can  tell.  The  business  of  the  place  is  all 
done  on  the  Ohio  river,  which  appears  nearly  as  large  as 
the  Mississippi. 

"The  troops  that  have  already  left  here  are  back  of 
Columbus  somewhere,  and  have  done  no  fighting  yet. 
Some  of  the  gunboats  have  gone  down  the  river  and 
there  are  seven  here,  all  finished  but  one,  and  that  is 
nearly  done.  I  can  not  tell  you  anything  about  what  is 
to  be  done;  and,  indeed,  we  know  but  little  about  what 
is  going  on  all  around  us.  We  rely  upon  Chicago  papers 
for  intelligence  mainly. 

"Columbus  is  only  twenty  miles  from  here,  and  of 
course  is  to  be  taken ;  but  when,  and  who  is  to  do  it,  I  do 
not  know.  The  ragged  8th  expects  to  have  a  hand  in  it, 
however,  when  the  thing  is  to  be  done.  The  companies 
are  in  barracks  and  in  the  best  of  spirits.  Barracks 
comfortable." 

"Cairo,  Wednesday  p.  m.,  Jan.  22,  1862.— The  boys 
are  all  in  good  health  and  spirits.  The  mud  has  dried  up 
so  that  it  is  comfortable  getting  about  on  foot.  A 
steamer  that  passed  Sulphur  Springs  the  next  evening 
after  you  left  there,  with  a  regiment,  the  55th  Illinois, 
on  board,  has  just  arrived  here.  Wouldn't  we  have  had 
a  nice  time  had  we  got  off  on  a  steamboat? 

"We  are  very  well  situated.  The  boys  have  fixed  up 
the  barracks  (each  company  has  a  building  by  itself) 
so  that  they  are  very  comfortable.  Our  quarters  at  one 
end  are  almost  as  good  as  a  parlor.  We  have  three  coal 
stoves,  one  in  the  quarters  and  two  in  the  barracks,  and 
have  no  difficulty  in  keeping  dry  and  warm. 

"We  are  gratified  with  the  victory  at  Somerset,  Ky., 
over  Zollicoffer.  It  shows  how  western  men  fight.  We 


16  REMINISCENCES 

shall  whip  them  every  time  we  meet  them  on  anything 
like  equal  terms—up  west  here.  Deserters  from  below 
say  that  the  rebels  fear  and  dread  the  Northwestern 
troops.  When  the  grand  expedition  starts  down  the 
Mississippi  the  blows  will  fall  thick  and  fast  and  most 
effectually  on  secession." 

"Camp  Cairo,  Cairo,  111.,  Sunday  a.  m.,  Jan.  26, 
1862. — The  weather  is  fine,  mud  all  dried  up,  and  we 
drill  every  day  four  hours.  The  health  of  the  men  is 
good,  except  some  diarrhoea  occasioned  by  drinking  the 
river  water.  This  water  looks  like  weak  coffee  with  milk 
in  it,  it  is  so  muddy,  but  it  tastes  very  well.  I  do  not 
drink  any  of  it.  My  drink  is  almost  entirely  coffee.  I 
keep  out  of  the  night  air  and  take  every  possible  care  of 
my  health,  and  with  entire  success.  When  warm  weather 
comes  there  will  be  a  good  deal  of  ague  here." 

"Feb.  2,  1862. — Large  numbers  of  troops,  several 
regiments  of  General  McClernard's  Brigade,  leave  here 
today  for  Smithland,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cumberland 
river.  It  is  supposed  they  will  go  on  an  expedition  up 
the  Cumberland  river.  We  were  attached  to  this 
brigade,  but  I  now  learn  we  are  to  be  attached  to  Gen 
eral  Paine' s  Brigade.  He  is  in  command  at  Bird's  Point, 
just  across  the  Mississippi  river,  in  Missouri. 

"Our  fear  now  is  that  the  fight  will  come  off  at 
Bowling  Green  before  we  start,  and  if  the  rebels  are  de 
feated  there  they  may  retreat  from  Columbus  without 
giving  us  battle.  We  really  want  a  turn  with  them  at 
Columbus," 

"Cairo,  Sunday,  Feb.  9,  1862. — Since  writing  to  you 
there  has  been  a  battle  and  victory  at  Fort  Henry,  on 
the  Tennessee  river.  The  battle  was  fought  on  our  side 
by  the  gunboats,  our  infantry  taking  no  part  in  It.  We 
are  not  stationed  here  permanently.  We  were  only  left 
because  we  had  not  our  blue  uniforms.*  We  have  them 

*  When  the  soldiers  enlisted,  gray  uniforms   were   furnished   by  the 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  IT 


DOW.  But  for  this  we  should  doubtless  have  been  at  Fort 
Henry.  The  boys  are  much  disappointed.  We  may  go 
there  yet,  as  regiments  are  constantly  going  up  there.  I 
suppose  they  will  have  another  fight  in  a  few  days  on  the 
Cumberland  river  about  fourteen  miles  east  of  Fort 
Henry,  at  Fort  Donelson,  but  we  have  no  orders  as  yet. 

"I  have  been  for  the  last  two  days  acting  as  Presi 
dent  of  a  Regimental  Court  Martial  for  the  trial  of  minor 
offenses.  There  were  twelve  cases  before  us.  It  takes  a 
good  deal  of  evidence  in  my  court  to  convict." 

"Mound  City,  111.,  Wed.  p.  m.,  Feb.  12,  1862.— Last 
night  an  order  was  received  on  dress  parade  that  Com 
pany  K  proceed  to  Mound  City  and  take  charge  of  the 
post.  So  we  went  on  a  steamer  this  afternoon,  and  here 
we  are." 

"Mound  City,  Feb.  14,  1862. — Here  we  are,  sepa 
rated  from  the  regiment  for  reserve  duty  again.  We  are 
to  guard  a  large  amount  of  ammunition.  The  hospital 
here  contains  from  600  to  TOO  patients,  with  accommo 
dations  for  1,000.  Bartlett  and  I  were  all  through  it 
yesterday.  Saw  the  men  that  were  scalded  on  the  Essex. 
They  are  an  awful  sight. 

"We  are  now  almost  discouraged  about  getting  into 
the  field.  I  hate  this  reserve  duty." 

"Feb.  16,  1862. — We  are  in  a  post  of  honor,  and  ex 
cept  that  it  keeps  us  out  of  battle  would  be  deemed  very 
desirable,  but  we  want  a  hand  in.  I  suppose  that  Fort 
Donelson  is  taken,  or  will  be  in  a  day  or  two,  and  then 
the  backbone  of  this  rebellion  will  be  broken  up  west 
here.  A  part  of  our  regiment  went  to  Paducah,  I  hear, 
as  a  bodyguard  for  General  Sherman,  who  I  understand 
has  gone  up  there." 

"Mound  City,  Monday  noon,  Feb.  IT,  1862. — The 
regiment  is  now  all  at  Cairo  except  Company  K  and 

State.  This  caused  confusion  because  the  Confederates  also  wore 
gray  uniforms — hence  the  change. 


18  REMINISCENCES 

about  100  men  who,  with  Col.  Murphy,  went  yesterday 
to  Alton  with  the  prisoners  taken  at  Fort  Henry.  They 
are  having  a  desperate  fight  at  Fort  Donelson,  on  the 
Cumberland  river.  General  Paine  came  down  yester 
day,  bringing  intelligence  that  we  have,  already  lost 
2,000  killed  and  wounded,  among  whom  are  several  Il 
linois  Colonels  and  other  officers.  Several  gunboats  came 
down  from  there  last  night  and  this  morning;  but,  not 
stopping  here,  we  got  no  news  from  above. 

"There  has  been  heavy  firing  at  Cairo  within  an 
hour.  At  first  we  thought  the  place  had  been  attacked 
from  Columbus,  but  as  it  ceased  all  at  once  we  have  con 
cluded  that  they  had  heard  that  we  had  taken  Fort  Don- 
elson  and  were  firing  a  national  salute  in  honor  of  the 
victory.  The  boys  chafed  like  chained  lions  when  they 
heard  the  firing  at  Columbus  this  morning." 

"Evening. — It  is  true  that  Fort  Donelson  is  taken, 
and  with  it  10,000  to  15,000  prisoners.  The  backbone  of 
this  rebellion  is  broken.  Now  for  Columbus  and  home ! 
Our  hearts  bound  as  we  begin  to  see  the  end  of  this  war." 

"Mound  City,  111.,  Wed.  p.  m.,  Feb.  19,  1862.— There 
has  been  nothing  going  on  here  to  break  the  monotony 
for  a  few  days  past  except  the  arrival  of  a  part  of  the 
wounded  from  Fort  Donelson.  These,  with  those  that 
have  previously  been  sent  here,  make  about  400  of  them 
at  this  hospital.  A  great  many  of  them  are  severely 
wounded.  They  seem  to  be  in  good  spirits.  Surgeons 
have  flocked  in  from  all  about  and  tendered  their  serv 
ices.  Some  are  prisoners.  Steamer  after  steamer  heav- 
iiy  laden  with  prisoners  has  gone  down  the  river.  I 
really  begin  to  think  that  the  war  will  be  closed  in  a  few 
months;  and  that,  possibly,  without  the  8th  having  a 
fight,  I  tell  you,  when  I  see  our  wounded  and  maimed 
soldiers  it  makes  me  feel  as  though  I  wanted  one  chance 
at  the  authors  of  all  this  misery  and  suffering.  I  don't 
believe  that  I  have  any  apprehension  of  being  hurt." 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  19 

"Feb.  26,  1862. — I  moved  Saturday  to  my  own  quar 
ters.  Board  with  a  Mrs.  Reyburn,  whose  husband  is  a 
sutler.  My  bed  is  in  the  parlor,  and  I  have  white  sheets. 
Everything  is  as  neat  as  wax  and  the  whole  family  are 
so  solicitous  for  my  comfort  it  is  almost  embarrassing. 
I  can  tell  in  a  day  or  two  when  you  had  better  come. 

"I  can  give  you  no  idea  of  our  future  movements.  It 
is  supposed  that  our  troops  are  at  Nashville  and  that 
Tennessee  has  caved  in.  We  do  not  think  that  there  will 
be  any  fight  at  Columbus  or  Memphis.  Both  places  are 
expected  to  surrender  soon.  Their  terrible  defeat  at 
Donelson  seems  to  have  taken  the  life  out  of  the  rebels. 
We  have  given  up  all  idea  of  seeing  any  more  fighting. 
The  buds  and  grass  are  starting  and  spring  is  here." 

"March  2,  1862. — Col.  Murphy  sent  orders  for 
Company  K  to  be  ready  for  marching.  He  is  trying  to 
join  an  expedition  down  at  New  Madrid,  which  is  below 
Columbus,  to  cut  off  communication  from  that  point 
clown  the  river.  It  looks  as  though  they  would  have  a 
light  at  Columbus. 

"We  hear  that  a  large  force  of  our  troops  is  also 
concentrating  at  Paducah,  50  miles  up  the  Ohio,  and 
everything  looks  like  a  movement  on  Columbus.  W7e 
thought  after  the  fall  of  Donelson  that  we  should  get 
Columbus  without  a  fight,  but  the  indications  now  are 
that  the  rebels  will  make  a  stand  there." 

"Mound  City,  111.,  March  5,  1862.— I  was  down  to 
Cairo  yesterday,  and  while  there  the  regiment  received 
orders  to  march  to  Charlestown,  a  few  miles  west  of 
Bird's  Point.  Company  K  was  not  included.  You  are 
glad.  Columbus  is  evacuated,  no  fight  there.  The  boys 
are  hungry  for  a  fight." 


20  REMINISCENCES 


LETTER  TO  THE  RACINE  ADVOCATE. 

"Mound  City,  111.,  March  6,  1862.— I  see  by  your 
paper  of  last  week  (a  stray  copy  of  which  has  just 
reached  us)  that  you  are  under  a  misapprehension  in 
relation  to  the  movement  of  our  regiment.  No  part  of  it 
has  been  at  Fort  Donelson.  Company  K  was  sent  to  this 
place  on  the  12th  ult.  Soon  afterwards,  and  before  the 
capture  of  Donelson,  the  right  wing  of  the  regiment 
went  up  the  Ohio  river  as  far  as  Paducah  as  an  escort  to 
General  Paine,  returning  to  Cairo  in  a  day  or  two.  Since 
that  time  Col.  Murphy,  with  Captains  Redfield  and  Per 
kins  and  a  detachment  of  one  hundred  men  from  Com 
panies  A  and  C,  escorted  the  Fort  Henry  prisoners  to 
Alton.  Company  E,  Captain  Young,  has  been  to  St. 
Louis  in  charge  of  a  large  number  of  rebel  officers,  cap 
tured  at  Donelson.  On  Sunday,  the  23d  ult,,  a  detach 
ment  of  three  hundred  men  of  the  8th,  under  command 
of  Col.  Murphy,  went  down  the  river  to  Columbus,  where 
they  were  met  by  a  flag  of  truce  from  the  rebels,  as  al 
ready  stated  in  the  newspapers. 

"These  were  the  only  movements  made  by  the  8th 
since  we  arrived  at  Cairo,  until  the  4th  inst.,  when  the 
whole  regiment,  except  Company  K,  was  ordered  on  an 
expedition  into  the  country  back  of  Bird's  Point,  and 
left  Cairo  the  same  evening.  We  do  not  know  the  object 
of  the  expedition,  but  suppose  that  it  is  to  prevent 
marauding  parties  of  rebels  in  the  neighborhood  of  New 
Madrid  from  passing  north  of  Bird's  Point  and  attack 
ing  Government  transports  on  the  river,  large  numbers 
of  which  are  constantly  moving  laden  with  troops  and 
supplies.  It  is  expected  that  the  regiment  will  return 
to  Cairo  in  a  few  days. 

"I  wish  to  refer  to  another  matter  before  I  close.  I 
learn  from  the  Advocate  that  Lieut.  Gibbons,  of  Water- 
ford,  has  resigned  and  returned  home,  and  that  his  neigh- 


OF   THE    CIVIL   WAR  21 


bors  are  indignant  at  his  conduct,  charging  him  with 
cowardice.  I  fear  that  the  good  people  of  Waterford  are 
doing  Lieut.  Gibbons  injustice.  There  are  frequently 
valid  reasons  why  an  officer  may  resign — without  loss  of 
honor — and  when  I  remember  that  the  Lieutenant  saw 
service  in  Mexico,  and  knew  precisely  what  he  must  en 
counter  when  he  volunteered  in  the  service  last  summer, 
I  can  not  believe  that  he  is  a  coward.  A  coward  may 
accidentally  get  into  one  war,  but  I  do  not  believe  that 
he  would  voluntarily  go  into  a  second  one.  Of  course, 
I  know  nothing  of  the  facts,  but  I  trust  that  public  opin 
ion  will  not  pronounce  the  terrible  judgment  of  cow 
ardice  upon  Lieut.  Gibbons  without  the  most  convincing 
proofs. 

Respectfully  yours, 

WM.  P.  LYON." 


TO  MRS.  LYON. 

"Mound  City,  Sunday,  March  9,  1862.— How  lucky 
now  that  you  did  not  come  to  me.  I  got  orders  last  night 
to  join  the  regiment,  which  is  20  miles  west  of  Bird's 
Point.  We  are  all  packed  up  and  expect  the  boat  every 
hour.  I  presume  we  shall  go  to  New  Madrid.  If  you 
hear  of  a  fight,  keep  cool  until  you  have  the  particulars, 
and  then  throw  up  your  hat,  for  we  shall  whip  them." 

"Mound  City,  "March  12,  1862.— We  are  still  here, 
and  shall  be  for  some  days.  There  is  a  new  administra 
tion  at  Cairo.  General  Strong  has  charge,  General 
Paine  being  in  the  field  near  New  Madrid,  and  they  do 
not  know  at  headquarters  anything  about  the  order  re 
lieving  us.  So  if  you  hear  of  a  fight  at  New  Madrid  you 
may  be  sure  (humiliating  as  it  is)  that  Company  K  is 
not  there." 


22  REMINISCENCES 


"Mound  City,  March  16,  1862. — We  have  not  gone 
yet.  The  8th  is  at  or  near  New  Madrid,  and  there  has 
been  some  fighting  down  there.  The  situation  there  is 
about  this:  The  rebels  have  fortified  Island  No.  10  in 
the  Mississippi  river,  about  fifteen  miles  above  New 
Madrid,  and  occupy  it  now.  They  also  had  a  fort  at  or 
near  New  Madrid.  This  fort  was  commanded  by  our 
artillery  all  day  last  Thursday,  and  on  that  night,  dur 
ing  a  severe  thunderstorm  we  had  here,  they  evacuated 
it  and  our  troops  occupied  it.  We  expect  every  day  to 
hear  that  our  gunboats  have  cleaned  out  from  the  island, 
as  it  is  not  a  strong  position.  The  infantry  have  had 
but  little  to  do,  it  being  (as  I  always  told  you  the  bat 
tles  along  the  river  would  be)  an  artillery  fight.  One 
captain  in  the  10th  Illinois  was  killed  by  the  rebel  pick 
ets  on  Wednesday  night,  through  his  own  folly  and  im 
prudence,  by  going  unnecessarily  near  the  rebel  lines.  I 
never  shall  get  killed  that  way.  When  I  peril  my  life  it 
will  be  where  some  good  is  to  be  accomplished  by  it. 
We  had  a  report  here  on  Friday  that  our  regiment  had 
been  in  and  got  cut  up,  but  I  do  not  believe  it  has  been 
under  fire  at  all." 

"Cairo,  March  18,  1862.— They  are  fighting  like  fun 
at  Island  No.  10.  No  infantry  engaged.  It  is  a  naval 
battle." 

"Mound  City,  March  25,  1862.— We  are  ordered  to 
leave  here  at  six  this  evening  to  join  the  regiment,  to 
report  at  Cairo.  No  fighting  where  they  are." 

"Sikeston,  Mo.,  March  28,  1862.— We  are  put  off 
here  at  Sikeston  to  guard  a  railroad  26  miles  west  of 
Bird's  Point.  This  is  a  very  pleasant  place." 

"March  30,  1862.— Jeff  Thompson  and  Pillow  both 
had  headquarters  here  last  winter  and  ravaged  the  coun 
try.  The  regiment  is  still  at  Mt.  Pleasant  doing  nothing. 
We  do  not  expect  to  join  it  until  we  can  go  down  the 
river.  Our  forces  are  cutting  a  channel  through  from 


OF   THE   CIVIL  WAR  23 

above  Island  No.  10,  about  one-half  mile  long,  which 
leads  into  a  bayou  or  slough  and  will  give  us  water  com 
munication  to  New  Madrid  without  passing  the  island. 
Our  business  here  is  to  take  care  of  a  section  of  the  rail 
road  and  to  help  in  the  trans-shipment  from  cars  to 
wagons  of  supplies  for  the  army  at  New  Madrid." 

"Sikeston,  April  6,  1862. — Company  K  is  ordered  to 
join  the  regiment.  One  of  our  gunboats  ran  past  the 
batteries  to  New  Madrid  and  we  hear  that  our  troops 
will  cross  the  river  tonight.  We  do  not  know  whether 
the  8th  will  be  sent  across  or  not.  The  fighting  will 
doubtless  commence  immediately.  We  can  not  possibly 
reach  them  before  Tuesday.  Our  teams  left  here  this 
morning  for  the.  regiment.  We  can  not  go  until  they 
return  and  until  other  troops  relieve  us." 

"Cairo,  April  10,  1862. — Since  the  capture  of  Island 
No.  10  our  regiment  has  moved  to  New  Madrid  and  I 
have  received  orders  to  join  it  forthwith.  I  came  from 
Sikeston  to  make  necessary  arrangements  for  leaving. 
We  shall  march  from  Sikeston  on  Saturday.  Think  we 
shall  get  through  by  night. 

"The  fighting  at  No.  10  was  all  done  by  the  navy 
and  artillery.  The  infantry  had  nothing  to  do  but  look 
on.  Not  so  at  Pittsburg  Landing.  There  on  the  Ten 
nessee  a  terrible  battle  has  been  fought.  Our  loss  is  very 
heavy.  The  16th  Wisconsin  was  in  the  fight.  I  can  get 
no  definite  intelligence  of  its  fate." 

"April  13,  1862. — We  are  just  starting  for  the  regi 
ment,  which  left  New  Madrid  last  night,  or  will  this 
morning,  to  go  down  the  river.  We  shall  catch  them  the 
first  time  they  stop.  'Forwrard  to  Memphis'  is  the  word. 
We  are  all  in  capital  spirits  and  our  hearts  bound  with 
exultation  at  the  prospect  of  diving  into  the  very  bowels 
of  'Secessia'." 

"April  15,  1862,  on  board  of  steamer,  Tiptonville, 
Tenn. — We  went  to  New  Madrid  and  found  the  regiment 


24  REMINISCENCES 


still  there.  We  went  on  board  this  steamer  about  nine 
o'clock,  in  company  of  half  a  dozen  steamers  laden  with 
troops.  We  went  forty-five  miles,  nearly  to  the  Arkan 
sas  line,  when  we  met  an  express  boat  with  orders  from 
General  Pope  to  return  to  the  first  landing  and  tie  up 
and  await  orders.  So  we  came  back  here,  fifteen  miles 
below  New  Madrid." 

"April  18,  1862.— We  remained  at  Tiptonville  until 
yesterday  afternoon,  when  we  started  and  steamed  down 
the  river  until  dark,  and  then  tied  up  to  a  tree,  and  this 
morning  ran  on  down  to  a  point  said  to  be  within  ten 
miles  of  Fort  Pillow,  20  of  Fort  Randolph  and  70  from 
Memphis.  There  we  were  ordered  back  to  New  Madrid. 
We  do  not  know  the  significance  of  this  movement,  but 
think  the  high  water  in  the  river  prevents  present  opera 
tions  against  Fort  Pillow.  I  think  that  when  we  get  to 
New  Madrid  we  shall  find  nearly  all  of  General  Pope's 
army  there." 

"On  Steamer  McClellan,  New  Madrid,  Sat.,  April 
19,  1862. — We  take  it  for  granted  that  we  are  going  up 
to  help  fight  another  great  battle,  and,  as  I  firmly  be 
lieve,  achieve  a  great  victory.  If  we  are  victorious  there 
it  opens  the  road  to  Memphis,  secures  the  opening  of  the 
Mississippi  with  but  little  more  fighting,  and  virtually 
ends  the  war  in  the  West. 

"When  Chase  and  I  were  making  speeches  at  flag- 
raisings  last  spring,  we  told  the  ladies  they  must  give 
up  fathers  and  sons,  husbands,  lovers  and  brothers  to 
their  country,  although  it  might  wring  the  heart 
strings  to  breaking.  You  have  made  this  sacrifice  with 
thousands  of  others.  Let  it  be  a  cheerful  sacrifice  on 
your  part.  Believe,  as  I  do,  that  I  shall  in  due  time  re 
turn  safely  to  you  and  our  beloved  children,  and  con 
sole  yourself  for  my  absence  with  the  thought  that  never 
were  men  called  from  kindred,  homes  and  friends,  to 


OF   THE   CIVIL  WAR  25 

hardships,  privations,  dangers  and  death,  in  a  more  sac 
red  cause. 

<I  am  cheerful  all  the  time,  and  it  is  the  result  of 
an  ever-present,  undoubting  conviction  that  I  am  pre 
cisely  where  I  ought  to  be.  My  greatest  happiness  con 
sists  in  doing  my  duty  and  indulging  in  fond  anticipa 
tions  of  the  time  when,  the  war  being  over,  the  Govern 
ment  restored,  and  our  work  well  and  faithfully  done,  I 
shall  return  to  you  and  our  sweet  babes,  and  I  will  feel 
I  am  in  Eden.  God  bless  you  and  help  you  to  bear  your 
part  of  the  weary  burden  that  this  war  throws  upon  you 
with  the  unfailing  courage  of  a  Spartan  matron,  dread 
ing  more  than  his  death  the  failing  of  your  loved  one  to 
do  his  duty." 

"Five  miles  above  Pittsburg  Landing,  Miss.,  April 
22,  1862.— We  are  still  on  the  boat,  I  started  out  this 
morning  to  find  the  16th  Wisconsin,  and  after  wading 
five  miles,  part  of  the  way  in  mud  nearly  to  my  knees,  I 
found  it,  and  to  my  inexpressible  joy  found 
Sperry  [Sperry  Northrup,  a  brother-in-law]  alive 
and  well.  They  had  a  terrible  fight  on  Sunday,  the  6th, 
being  under  fire  from  sunrise  to  5  o'clock  p.  m.,  and  los 
ing,  killed,  wounded  and  missing,  at  least  200  men.  His 
company  went  in  59  strong  and  came  out  with  28  only. 
The  roads  for  miles  are  full  of  troops.  The  trees  are  all 
cut  up  by  the  shot.  The  woods  are  full  of  graves.  Gov 
ernor  Harvey  was  drowned  a  few  miles  below  here  Sun 
day  night  at  Savannah. 

"We  also  visited  the  18th.  It  was  cut  up  more  than 
the  16th,  especially  in  officers.  The  Colonel,  Major,  act 
ing  Adjutant  and  several  captains  were  killed,  Lieut.- 
Colonel  badly  wounded.  The  Lieut.-Colonel  of  the  16th, 
Cassius  Fairchild,  is  badly  wounded  in  the  thigh.  One 
of  the  last  acts  Governor  Harvey  did  was  to  appoint 
Captain  Gabe  Bouck,  Colonel,  and  me,  Major  of  the  18th. 


26  KEMINISCENCES 

I  do  not  know  that  I  shall  accept.  I  think  I  will  stay 
with  Company  K  for  awhile." 

"Hamburg,  Tenn.,  April  25,  1862. — We  are  en 
camped  here  with  an  immense  and  constantly  increasing 
army,  camps,  artillery,  cavalry,  and  all  the  machinery  of 
war,  for  several  miles  up  and  down  the  river.  There  is 
undoubtedly  to  be  a  great  battle  before  long.  We,  Com 
pany  K,  go  out  a  few  miles  this  morning  as  part  of  the 
grand  guard.  This  is  a  guard  along  the  whole  front  of 
the  army,  about  three  miles  in  advance." 

"Camp  six  miles  west  of  Hamburg,  Tenn.,  April  28, 
1862. — We  are  here  encamped  in  a  beautiful  wood,  al 
most  like  our  openings.  Our  lines,  which  are  many  miles 
in  extent,  are  being  steadily  and  continuously  advanced 
toward  Corinth.  Our  advance  line  must  be  within  five 
or  six  miles  of  those  of  the  rebels.  They  must  meet  in  a 
few  days." 


LETTER  FROM  WM.  P.  LYON  TO  ISAAC  LYON. 

"Camp  twelve  miles  southwest  of  Hamburg,  in 
Miss,,  May  3,  1862. — Here  we  are  in  the  State  of  Missis 
sippi,  only  ten  miles  from  Corinth.  The  whole  army  is 
advancing  slowly  and  surely  upon  that  place,  and  in  a 
very  few  days  the  rebels  there  must  either  fight  us  or  run. 

"We  moved  six  miles  to  this  place  day  before  yester 
day  and  expect  to  move  on  still  further  in  a  day  or  two. 
The  caution  with  which  the  advance  is  made  inspires  us 
with  confidence  in  General  Hal  leek.  There  will  be  no 
more  surprise  here. 

"We  have  a  better,  if  not  a  larger  army,  than  the 
rebels,  and  are  better  off  for  artillery  than  they  are.  I 
think  the  heaviest  fighting  will  be  with  the  artillery.  I 
have  not  seen  Sperry  but  that  one  time  when  we  first 


OF   THE   CIVIL   WAR  27 


arrived.  He  must  be  three  or  four  miles  from  where  we 
are. 

"This  is  a  fine  country  to  look  at,  but  where  culti 
vated  seems  worn  out.  The  timber  is  light,  much  like 
our  openings.  On  our  march  out  here  I  saw  corn  large 
enough  to  be  hoed,  and  cherries  nearly  full  size.  Crops, 
what  little  there  are,  look  very  poor. 

"We  see  no  signs  of  energy,  enterprise,  or  taste 
among  the  few  people  we  encounter.  The  days  are  usu 
ally  warm,  but  the  nights  are  very  cool  and  pleasant. 

"I  received  news  today  of  the  death  at  Sikeston  of 
John  H.  Lowe,  of  Springfield.  We  left  him  there  very 
sick." 


TO  MRS.  LYON. 

i 

"Camp  eight  miles  from  Corinth,  May  5,  1862. — 
Company  K  was  immediately  sent  out  three  miles  to 
ward  Corinth  as  grand  guard,  or  outpost  picket.  It 
rained  terribly  all  the  afternoon  and  nearly  all  night, 
and  we  were  out  in  the  whole  of  it.  The  next  day  coming 
into  camp  we  had  to  wade  a  slough  filled  with  water  by 
the  rain.  I  got  in  up  to  my  neck,  to  the  infinite  amuse 
ment  of  the  boys.  I  did  not  take  cold  and  feel  none  the 
worse  for  it. 

"The  rebel  cavalry  were  in  sight  of  our  picket  lines, 
and  there  is  skirmishing  all  along  the  lines  every  day. 
The  opinion  is  that  the  rebels  will  retreat  from  Corinth 
without  a  fight.  When  we  were  out  the  other  night  we 
could  hear  their  bands  and  drum  corps  play,  and  also  the 
whistle  of  their  locomotives,  distinctly.  There  is  so 
much  woods  here  that  we  can  not  see  far  ahead." 


28  REMINISCENCES 

LETTER  TO  GOVERNOR  SALOMON. 

"Army  of  the  Mississippi. 
Camp  near  Farmington,  Miss., 

May  5,  1862. 
"Hon.  Edward  Salomon, 

Gov.  of  Wisconsin. 
"Governor  : 

"On  my  return  to  camp  this  afternoon  with  my  com 
pany,  from  grand  guard  duty  in  the  direction  of  Corinth, 
I  received  the  following  telegram  from  the  lamented 
Governor  Harvey,  forwarded  to  me  from  Cairo  by  Gen 
eral  Strong,  and  dated  at  Pittsburg,  April  17th  ult. : 

'To  Capt.  Wm.  P.  Lyon — You  are  ap 
pointed  Major  of  the  18th  Wisconsin,  and  re 
quested  to  report  at  once  to  Grant. 

L.  P.  HARVEY.' 

"I  have  no  knowledge  whether  a  commission  has 
been  issued  to  me,  or,  indeed,  whether  you  were  apprised 
of  his  intention  to  appoint  me.  Neither  do  I  know 
whether  you  would  deem  it  proper  to  carry  out  such  in 
tentions,  were  you  cognizant  of  it.  I  have,  therefore, 
concluded  (under  the  advice  of  friends)  to  remain  in 
command  of  my  company  until  I  hear  from  you.  If 
you  send  the  commission  I  will  accept  it — provided  the 
vacancy  in  my  company  caused  thereby  be  filled  from  the 
company  in  the  regular  line  of  promotion;  that  is,  1st 
Lieut.  Albert  E.  Smith  to  be  Capt.,  2d  Lieut.  James  O. 
Bartlett  to  be  1st  Lieut.,  and  1st  Sergeant  Theodore  W. 
Fellows  to  be  2d  Lieut.  They  are  good  officers,  and  their 
promotion  will  be  acceptable  to  the  company  and  to  the 
officers  of  our  regiment.  It  would  be  a  gratification  to 
me  to  receive  their  commissions  with  mine. 

"Permit  me  to  add,  Governor,  that  while  I  deeply 
appreciate  the  kindness  which  prompted  my  lamented 
friend,  Governor  Harvey,  to  select  me  as  the  Major  of  the 


OF   THE   CIVIL   WAR  29 


18th,  I  am  not,  as  he  well  knew,  solicitous  for  promotion. 
I  am  well  satisfied  with  my  present  position,  and  should 
leave  my  company  and  regiment  (with  whom  I  have  been 
so  intimately  connected  for  the  last  eight  months)  with 
many  regrets.  If,  therefore,  my  appointment  has  not 
been  officially  made,  and  there  is  any  other  person  you 
would  prefer  to  appoint,  or  have  already  appointed,  I 
beg  to  assure  you  that  your  decision  will  not  disquiet  me 
in  the  least.  I  have  the  honor  to  be 

Very  respectfully  Your  Obdt.  Servt., 

WM.  P.  LYON, 
"Capt.  Co.  K,  8th  Regt.  Wis.  Vol." 


LETTER  TO  GENERAL  GRANT. 

"Army  of  the  Mississippi. 
"Camp  near  Farmington,  Miss.,  May  5,  1862. 
"Maj.-General  U.  S.  Grant, 

"Comdg.  Army  of  the  Tennessee. 

"General:  I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  I 
have  this  day  received  the  following  telegram,  dated 
Pittsburg,  April  17th  ult.,  which  was  forwarded  to  me 
from  Cairo  by  General  Strong : 

'To    Capt.    Wm.    P.    Lyon — You    are  ap 
pointed  Major  of  the  18th  Wis.  and  requested  to 
report  at  once  to  Gen.  Grant.    L.  P.  Harvey.' 
"In  consequence  of  the  untimely  death  of  Governor 
Harvey,  so  soon  after  he  sent  the  above  dispatch,  I  am 
led  to  believe  that  my  appointment  was  not  officially 
made,  and  that  therefore  his  successor  can  appoint  some 
other  person  if  he  chooses.    Indeed,  I  am  not  informed 
whether  Governor  Salomon  is  aware  of  the  intention  of 
Governor  Harvey  in  the  premises.     I  have,  therefore, 
written  Governor  Salomon  informing  him  of  the  receipt 


30  "REMINISCENCES 

of  the  telegram  and  requesting  him  to  notify  me  of  his 

determination.     Should  I  receive  a  commission,  I  will 

report  to  you  in  person  at  the  earliest  possible  day.    I  am 

Very  respectfully  Your  Obdt,  Servt,, 

WM.  P.  LYON, 
"Capt,  Co.  K,  8th  Ilegt.  Wis.  Vol.'-         * 


WRITTEN  FOR  THE  RACINE  ADVOCATE. 

The  Battle  of  Farmington. 

"Camp  of  2d  Division,  Army  of  the  Mississippi,  near 

Farmington. 

May  10,  1862. 

"The  Grand  Army  of  the  West  is  slowly  but  surely 
advancing  on  the  enemy.  The  final  act  in  the  great 
drama  can  not  be  much  longer  delayed. 

"Last  Saturday  General  Paine's  Division  advanced 
to  Farmington,  within  about  three  miles  of  Corinth ;  and 
after  some  heavy  skirmishing  with  a  considerable  force 
of  the  enemy,  drove  them  back  and  took  possession  of  the 
place.  On  Sunday,  Stanley's  Division  (the  2d  of  Pope's 
Command)  moved  forward  to  within  about  three  miles 
of  Farmington  and  went  into  camp.  Paine's  Division 
had  also  fallen  back  to  this  position,  and  encamped  di 
rectly  in  front  of  us,  leaving  only  a  small  force  of  cav 
alry  to  occupy  the  ground  from  which  the  rebels  had 
been  driven.  Rain  fell  in  such  quantities  on  Sunday 
and  on  Sunday  night  as  to  render  the  roads  almost  im 
passable  for  the  next  two  or  three  days.  On  Thursday, 
the  roads  being  considerably  improved,  these  two  divis 
ions,  Stanley's  and  Paine's,  advancing  beyond  Farming- 

*  This  correspondence  did  not  result  in  any  change  in  the  officers 
of  Company  K.  The  result  was  very  satisfactory  to  Captain  Lyon, 
because  he  much  preferred  to  remain  with  his  old  company. 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  31 

ton  and  reconnoitered  the  ground  up  to  within  a  short 
distance  of  Corinth,  the  enemy  retiring  before  us.  There 
was  considerable  skirmishing  during  the  day,  in  which 
we  lost  several  men,  but  no  serious  engagement.* 

"Farmington  is  a  small  village  of  about  thirty  or 
forty  houses,  on  the  road  from  Corinth  to  Hamburg, 
pleasantly  situated  among  open  fields  which  are 
bounded  on  every  side  by  the  woods.  As  the  position 
was  considerably  in  advance  of  the  main  bod}7  of  our 
army,  it  was  deemed  prudent  towards  night  to  draw  off 
our  forces  to  their  camps,  which  had  not  been  moved, 
leaving  only  one  brigade  in  the  rear  of  Farmington  to 
hold  the  position,  or  at  least  hold  the  enemy  in  check 
should  he  attempt  to  advance.  The  brigade  thus  left  is 
the  2d  of  Stanley's  Division,  commanded  by  General 
Plummer  and  composed  of  the  26th  Illinois,  8th  Wiscon 
sin,  47th  Illinois  and  llth  Missouri  regiments.  The 
brigade  fell  back  to  an  open  field  surrounded  by  woods, 
on  the  right  of  the  Hamburg  road  and  about  a  mile  this 
side  of  Farmington,  and  here  remained  during  the  night. 
Company  A  of  the  8th  and  four  companies  from  other 
regiments,  under  command  of  Major  Jefferson  of  the 
8th,  were  stationed  as  outposts  during  the  night,  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  or  two  miles  in  advance  of  the  brigade. 

"About  daylight  the  next  morning  the  enemy  ad 
vanced  through  the  woods  beyond  Farmington  and  at 
tacked  our  outposts.  Major  Jefferson,  seeing  that  the 
enemy  were  in  strong  force,  deployed  his  force  as  skirm 
ishers,  charging  them  to  keep  cool  and  retire  slowly, 

*   The  Eighth  was  in  General  Paine's  Division. 

General  Paine  was  a  resident  of  Illinois  and  a  graduate  of  a 
military  academy,  but  had  resigned  from  the  regular  army  before 
the  Civil  War  began.  He  was  an  excellent  officer;  a  very  brave  man; 
and,  although  a  little  rough  at  times,  a  great  favorite  with  the  men 
under  his  command. 

A  characteristic  anecdote  of  him  is  that  at  one  time  a  Tennessee 
woman  came  to  his  headquarters  and  complained  bitterly  that  the 
Union  soldiers  had  stolen  all  of  Her  chickens.  The  General  treated 
her  kindly,  blamed  the  soldiers  for  their  conduct  and  sympathized 
with  the  poor  woman  in  her  trouble;  but  he  closed  the  conversation 
by  saying  to  her,  "Madam,  we  are  going  to  put  down  this  rebellion 
if  it  takes  every  chicken  in  the  State  of  Tennessee." 


32  REMINISCENCES 

firing  as  they  went.  He  also  sent  an  orderly  to  Colonel 
Loomis  of  the  26th  Illinois  ( who  in  the  absence  of  Gen 
eral  Plummer  commanded  the  brigade),  notifying  him  of 
the  approach  of  the  enemy  and  asking  for  reinforce 
ments.  This  Colonel  Loomis  could  not  grant,  as  he  had 
instructions  not  to  advance  his  force  beyond  their  first 
position.  In  the  meantime  the  enemy,  driving  our 
skirmishers  before  them,  advanced  into  the  village  of 
Farmington  and  planted  a  battery  there,  from  which 
they  opened  a  galling  fire  upon  the  skirmishers. 

"Great  credit  is  due  to  Major  Jefferson  and  to  Cap- 
t&in  Redfield,  and  the  other  officers  and  men  employed 
as  skirmishers,  for  the  coolness  and  courage  they  dis 
played  under  the  enemy's  fire.  Retiring  slowly  from 
one  sheltered  position  to  another  they  kept  up  a  galling 
fire  upon  the  enemy,  which  caused  them  to  advance  with 
great  caution,  so  that  it  was  more  than  three  hours  from 
their  first  appearance  until  they  became  engaged  with 
our  main  force. 

"About  ten  o'clock,  the  enemy  still  advancing  in 
three  lines  of  battle,  covered  the  open  fields  in  front  of 
Farmington  and  planted  another  battery  in  the  edge  of 
the  woods  to  the  right  of  our  front,  about  a  mile  dis 
tant.  He  also  soon  opened  another  at  about  the  same 
distance  on  our  left.  About  this  time  General  Palmer 
came  up  with  four  Illinois  regiments  and  Hescock's 
battery. 

"Hescock's  battery  was  placed  about  five  hundred 
yards  in  our  advance,  and  two  of  the  regiments  were 
posted  a  little  to  the  rear  and  right  of  the  battery,  their 
right  resting  on  the  woods  and  their  left  in  front  of  the 
right  of  our  brigade.  The  other  two  regiments  of  Palm 
er's  Brigade  were  posted  on  an  elevated  position  to  the 
left  of  the  Hamburg  road.  Captain  Hescock,  who  be 
haved  with  great  gallantry  during  the  engagement,  hav 
ing  got  his  guns  in  position,  opened  a  very  vigorous  and 


OF   THE   CIVIL   WAR  33 

apparently  very  effective  fire  on  the  enemy's  battery  in 
the  woods  on  the  left. 

"Their  guns  for  a  time  were  silenced,  and  there  was 
a  short  pause  in  the  battle.  The  enemy  were,  however, 
steadily  advancing  all  the  time  under  cover  of  the  woods 
on  our  right  and  left,  endeavoring  to  flank  our  position, 
in  which  they  came  very  near  being  successful.  Soon 
the  rebel  batteries  opened  with  redoubled  fury.  Their 
guns  were  evidently  manned  by  skillful  artillerists,  for 
they  fired  with  great  rapidity  and  fearful  precision. 
They  sent  shot  and  shell  alternately  into  Palmer's  line 
and  then  into  ours,  and  at  times  clear  beyond  into  the 
woods  in  our  rear,  along  the  only  road  by  which  rein 
forcements  could  come  or  a  retreat  be  effected.  About 
twelve  o'clock  the  sharp  crack  of  musketry  in  our  front, 
mingling  with  the  sullen  roar  of  cannon,  told  us  that 
Palmer's  men  were  engaged  with  the  advancing  rebel 
infantry.  This  officer,  seeing  that  his  position  was  rap 
idly  being  flanked,  after  a  few  volleys  drew  off  his  men 
and  formed  another  line  in  our  rear.  Hescock's  battery 
vras  also  compelled  to  retire  in  order  to  avoid  capture. 
This  left  our  line  exposed  to  all  the  fury  of  the  battle. 

"Our  brigade  was  drawn  up  on  the  sde  of  a  gentle 
rise  in  the  open  field,  our  right  and  left  resting  on  the 
woods.  The  26th  Illinois  occupied  the  right,  the  8th 
Wisconsin  on  its  left,  the  47th  Illinois  on  our 
left,  and  the  llth  Missouri  on  the  extreme  left 
of  the  line.  Palmer  having  fallen  back,  and  the 
only  battery  we  had  engaged  having  retired,  the 
enemy  now  turned  their  guns  upon  us,  and  soon  their 
shot  and  shell  fell  thick  and  fast  in  our  ranks.  One  of 
their  first  shot  passed  close  to  the  head  of  Major  Jeffer 
son  and  took  off  the  leg  of  Lieut.-Colonel  Miles  of  the 
47th  Illinois,  who  shortly  after  died.*  Another  shell 

*  Colonel  Miles  was  mounting  his  horse  and  had  just  put  his  foot 
in  the  stirrup  when  a  ball  struck  the  foot  that  was  on  the  ground 
and  took  off  the  leg.  He  died  that  night. 


34  REMINISCENCES 

struck  close  to  Company  G  of  our  regiment  and  ex 
ploded,  mortally  wounding  Lieutenant  Beamish  and 
Corporal  John  White  of  that  company,  and  slightly 
wounding  another.  The  first  two  died  soon  after  they 
were  brought  from  the  field.  The  brigade  was  ordered 
to  lie  down,  and  having  done  so  found  great  protection 
in  the  elevated  ground  in  front  of  it.  Still  the  enemy, 
depressing  their  guns,  got  such  accurate  range  that  their 
shot  and  shell  tore  up  the  ground  in  every  direction 
along  our  line,  killing  and  wounding  some  in  each  regi 
ment,  except  the  llth  Missouri,  who  were  so  far  to  the 
left  and  so  completely  under  cover  of  the  woods  that  they 
escaped  without  the  loss  of  a  single  man. 

"Soon  the  rebel  infantry  advanced  in  heavy  force  in 
our  front  and  in  the  woods  to  our  left,  and  opened  fire 
upon  our  line.  The  firing  was  now,  for  a  short  time, 
absolutely  terrific.  Grape  shot  and  bullet  flew  thick 
and  fast  as  hail  in  a  wintry  storm.  Men  who  were 
through  the  Mexican  war  declare  that  they  were  never 
under  such  a  fearful  fire  before;  and  it  is  a  matter  of 
astonishment  that  our  casualties  were  so  few.  It  can 
only  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  our  men  kept  close 
to  the  ground  and  so  avoided  the  deadly  missiles  which 
passed  over  them.  Nothing  is  more  trying  to  the  nerves 
of  men  than  thus  to  have  to  remain  silent  and  motionless 
under  a  fire  which  they  are  not  permitted  to  return.  The 
8th,  however,  bore  it  without  flinching;  until  at  length 
Colonel  Loornis  gave  the  word :  "Up,  8th  Wisconsin,  and 
give  it  to  them !" 

"Our  boys  now  rose  up,  and  advancing  to  the  crest 
of  the  elevation  in  front  of  them  poured  volley  after  vol 
ley  into  the  rebel  ranks.  The  fearful  yells,  and  still 
more  fearful  fire,  of  the  Badger  boys  evidently  produced 
a  stunning  effect  upon  the  enemy,  for  soon  their  fire 
slackened,  then  their  lines  wavered,  and  finally  they 
broke  and  retired  in  disorder  to  the  cover  of  the  woods. 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  35 

At  this  time  about  four  hundred  of  our  cavalry  came  up, 
and  passing  our  regiment  on  the  right,  charged  the  bat 
tery  in  our  front,  driving  the  rebels  from  their  guns ;  but 
not  being  supported,  and  being  exposed  to  a  heavy  fire 
from  the  rebel  infantry  in  the  woods,  they  were  com 
pelled  to  retire  without  capturing  the  battery.* 

"In  the  meantime,  the  enemy  were  rapidly  flanking 
us  in  the  woods  on  our  right,  and  the  regiment  support 
ing  us  having  fallen  back,  the  8th  was  also  ordered  to 
retire  and  form  another  line  in  the  woods  in  the  rear. 
This  our  men  did  in  good  order,  moving  off  the  field  al 
most  as  deliberately  as  in  ordinary  battalion  drill. 

"The  enemy  still  endeavoring  to  get  on  our  flank  and 
iii  our  rear,  and  having  evidently  abundant  force  for  the 
accomplishment  of  their  object,  our  entire  force  was 
ordered  to  move  through  the  woods  to  the  road  and  fall 
back  thereon  to  our  next  lines,  which  we  found  formed 
in  an  open  field  about  a  mile  and  a  half  in  the  rear  of 
our  first  position.  By  this  time  the  whole  of  Pope's  com 
mand  were  advancing  and  forming  in  line,  all  suppos 
ing  that  a  general  engagement  had  begun.  The  enemy, 
hoAvever,  made  no  further  advance,  but  hastily  withdrew, 
leaving  our  pickets  to  occupy  the  battlefield  during  the 
same  night. 

"During  the  entire  engagement  the  conduct  of  the 
8th  in  every  way  sustained  the  reputation  which  the  Wis 
consin  troops  have  won  on  other  fields.  Lieut.-Colonel 
Bobbins  (who  in  the  absence  of  Colonel  Murphy  com 
manded  the  regiment),  Major  Jefferson  and  Adjutant 
Sprague,  proved  themselves  to  be  brave  men  and  able  of 
ficers.  Indeed,  all  the  officers  and  men,  as  far  as  known, 
behaved  with  a  steadiness  and  gallantry  worthy  of  vet 
erans.  General  Palmer,  riding  up  to  the  regiment  on  the 
field,  inquired  what  regiment  it  was.  Being  told  that  it 

*   The  command   that  made  this  gallant  charge  was  the   2d  Iowa 
Cavalry,  commanded  by  Colonel    (afterward  General)    Elliott. 


36  REMINISCENCES 

was  the  8th  Wisconsin,  he  said,  in  a  most  emphatic 
manner :  "You  have  done  nobly !" 

"It  could  not  have  been  the  intention  of  General 
Pope  to  bring  on  a  general  engagement  at  this  point, 
otherwise  we  should  have  been  reinforced  and  held  the 
position  at  all  hazards.  The  accounts  of  deserters  and 
prisoners  represent  the  force  of  the  enemy  at  from  twenty 
to  forty  thousand  strong,  commanded  by  Generals  Bragg 
and  Hardee.  The  force  we  had  on  the  field  was  not  over 
five  thousand  men.  We  were  nearly  three  miles  in  ad 
vance  of  the  main  body  of  our  troops,  and  the  only  road 
by  which  we  could  be  reinforced  is  a  narrow  road  run 
ning  through  woods  and  swamps,  which  the  enemy  were 
able  to  shell  from  the  position  where  they  had  planted 
their  batteries.  Being  much  better  acquainted  with  the 
country  than  we,  they  no  doubt  intended  and  expected  to 
surround  and  cut  us  off  before  reinforcements  could 
reach  us.  In  this  they  were  completely  foiled,  and  the 
reception  they  met  probably  convinced  them  that  it 
would  neither  be  safe  nor  pleasant  to  attempt  to  advance 
any  further  in  this  direction. 

"The  entire  loss  of  all  our  troops  engaged  is  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  in  killed  and  wounded.  The 
enemy  probably  lost  quite  as  many.  Though  the  loss  of 
our  regiment  (owing  to  the  manner  in  which  they  took 
advantage  of  the  inequalities  of  the  ground)  is  compara 
tively  light,  it  yet  includes  some  of  our  best  men.  Their 
names  are  as  follows : 

"Captain  John  E.  Perkins,  Co.  C — mortally 
wounded  by  a  minie  ball  in  the  side.  Since  dead. 

"Lieutenant  Richard  D.  Beamish,  Co.  G — Struck 
by  a  shell.  Dead. 

"Corporal  John  A.  White,  Co.  G — struck  by  a  shell. 
Dead. 

"Corporal  August  Ludkie,  Co.  D — Shot  through  the 
hand. 


OF    THE    CIVIL   WAE  37 

"O.  D.  Leonard,  Co.  D — shot  through  the  thigh. 

"Wm.  Buckley,  Co.  C — fracture  of  the  forearm. 
Since  amputated. 

"Blake  W.  Griffith,  Co.  F— shot  by  musket  ball  in 
side. 

"Sergeant  B.  Bush  and  H.  W.  Allen,  Co.  F— 
slightly.  Not  disabled. 

"Zebulon  Johnson,  Co.  I — in  leg  below  the  knee. 
Since  amputated. 

"Iver  Oleson,  Co.  I — shot  through  the  neck.  Se 
verely. 

"Alva  Wood,  Co.  I — wounded  in  leg  and  missing. 

"  Jas.  Kendall,  Oliver  Wood,  George  W.  Trude,  S.  B. 
Cox,  Co.  I— all  slightly. 

"Harmon  V.  Sacia,  Co.  I — missing. 

"Jas.  Rogers,  Co.  G — slightly. 

"Hans  Nisson  and  Thomas  Toney,  Co.  K — slightly. 
Not  disabled. 

"George  W.  Quimby,  John  C.  Green  and  Charles 
Colher,  Co.  A — slightly.  Not  disabled. 

"Three  companies  had  been  detailed  as  outposts  dur 
ing  the  previous  night  and  as  skirmishers  in  the  morn 
ing.  Only  one  platoon  succeeded  in  getting  to  the  field 
in  time  to  take  part  in  the  principal  engagement.  This 
platoon,  under  command  of  Lieutenant  Baker,  formed 
alongside  of  Captain  Green's  company,  and  there  ren 
dered  good  service.  Only  fourteen  men  of  Company  D 
were  present,  the  rest  of  the  company  having  mistaken 
the  orders  the  preceding  night  and  gone  back  to  camp ; 
but  these,  under  command  of  Lieut.  McDowell,  rendered 
good  service.  Company  B  was  left  behind,  as  a  camp 
guard,  so  it  met  with  no  casualties. 

"Besides  those  mentioned  in  the  above  list  there  are 
quite  a  number  who  were  struck  and  more  or  less 
scratched  and  bruised  by  the  enemy's  missiles ;  but  they 
are  scarcely  enough  damaged  to  be  classed  with  wounded 


38  REMINISCENCES 

men.  I  find,  however,  that  it  is  customary  to  swell  the 
list  of  wounded  by  reporting  as  such  all  who  have  been 
in  any  way  scratched  or  bruised  in  a  fight. 

"Captain  Perkins,  who  commanded  the  company 
known  as  the  Chippewa  Eagles,  who  made  such  a  sensa 
tion  when  they  came  into  Camp  Randall  with  a  living 
eagle  (which  they  still  carry  with  them),  was  a  man  of 
giant  frame,  and  one  who  had  a  large  heart — a  man  of 
the  most  generous  and  patriotic  impulses.  His  loss  is 
felt  and  deeply  regretted  by  the  whole  regiment.* 

"Lieut,  Beamish,  of  Company  G,  was  a  young  man  of 
superior  intelligence,  of  fine  social  qualities,  and  a  brave 
and  useful  officer.  Corporal  White  was  a  young  man  of 
excellent  character,  intelligent,  upright  and  correct  in 
his  deportment,  both  as  a  man  and  as  a  soldier.  There 
are  no  better  men  left  than  these  in  this  or  any  other 
regiment.  They  offered  their  lives  to  their  country  in 
her  hour  of  need,  and  with  their  blood  have  sealed  their 
devotion  to  her  integrity  and  her  honor.  Peace  to  their 
ashes  and  honor  to  their  memories ! 

WM.  P.  LYON. 

"P.  S. — I  forgot  to  say  that  on  our  return  to  camp 
from  the  battlefield  we  found  that  Colonel  Murphy  had 
arrived,  but  too  late  to  be  in  the  engagement.  You  may 
be  sure  the  whole  regiment  was  glad  to  see  him." 

*  "The  Eau  Claire  Badgers  are  going  into  battle  under  the  pro 
tective  aegis  of  the  veritable  American  Eagle.  It  was  captured  by 
the  Indians  of  the  Chippewa  river,  and  purchased  by  the  Badgers. 
Its  perch  is  to  be  the  flag-staff  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  Who  could 
not  fight  under  so  glorious  emblems?" — The  Eau  Claire  Free  Press 
(Sept.  5,  1861). 

"An  incident  occurred  yesterday  as  the  Chippewa  company  ar 
rived  at  Camp  Radnall.  They  bore  in  advance  of  them  a  platform  on 
which  was  a  live  eagle,  surmounted  by  a  small  American  flag.  Just 
as  they  entered  ihe  camp  the  eagle  expanded  his  wings  and  seized 
the  flag  in  his  beak.  The  incident  attracted  much  attention,  and  if  it 
had  happened  in  other  days,  in  a  Roman  camp,  would  have  been 
regarded  by  the  augurs  as  a  singularly  favorable  omen." — Madison 
State  Journal  (Sept.  10,  1861). 

"At  Madison,  the  eagle's  visitors  numbered  thousands,  and 
among  them  wore  dignitaries  of  civil  and  military  professions.  Here, 
by  Captain  Perkins,  he  was  donned  with  the  title  of  'Old  Abe,'  in 
honor  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  faithful  President  and  patriot.  By 
vote  of  the  company,  the  'Badgers'  were  to  be  styled  the  'Eau  Claire 
Eagles,'  and,  by  voice  of  the  people,  the  Eighth  Wisconsin  was  desig 
nated  as  the  'Eagle  Regiment.'  The  first  fight  the  eagle  was  in  was 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  39 

RESOLUTIONS  ON  DEATH  OF  OFFICERS  KILLED  AT 
FARMINGTON. 

"The  field,  staff  and  line  officers  of  the  8th  Regiment 
of  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  having  met  to  express  their 
sentiments  relative  to  the  decease  of  Captain  John  T. 
Perkins  of  Company  C,  and  Lieutenant  Richard  Beam 
ish  and  Corporal  John  White  of  Company  G,  all  of  whom 
fell,  mortally  wounded,  in  the  engagement  with  the 
enemy  near  Farmington,  Miss.,  on  the  9th  of  May,  inst., 
while  bravely  fighting  for  the  maintenance  of  the  Gov 
ernment  and  Constitution  of  our  Country,  do  unanim 
ously  resolve : 

"1st. — That  we  deeply  deplore  the  afflicting  dispen 
sation  which  has  removed  these  gallant  soldiers  from 
amongst  us,  endeared  to  us  as  they  were  by  intimate  as 
sociations  for  many  months  in  camp  and  field,  while  they 
shared  with  us  the  privations  and  perils  which  we  have 
been  called  to  encounter  in  the  service  of  our  beloved 
Country. 

"2d. — That  our  lamented  friends  were  true  patriots 
and  brave  soldiers,  prompt  and  faithful  in  the  discharge 
of  their  duties,  invaluable  to  the  companies  to  which 
they  respectively  belonged,  and  an  honor  to  our  regiment 
and  State.  And  while  we  deeply  mourn  their  loss,  we 
gather  consolation  from  the  knowledge  that  they  fell  at 
the  post  of  duty,  calm,  fearless,  heroic  to  the  last;  and 
(should  it  be  our  lot  to  meet  the  foe  in  deadly  conflict) 
their  glorious  example  will  strengthen  our  arms  and 
nerve  our  hearts  to  dare  all  and  risk  all  for  our  country ; 

the  battle  of  Farmington,  Miss.,  where  he  showed  a  great  deal  of 
sagacity.  When  we  were  ordered  to  lie  down  on  the  ground,  under  a 
dreadful  artillery  fire  from  the  enemy's  batteries,  he  flew  off  his  perch, 
getting  as  low  as  he  could,  and  lay  there  until  he  saw  the  regiment 
rise  to  advance,  when  he  flew  upon  his  perch  again,  and  remained 
there  through  the  engagement.' 

"In  this  battle  fell  Captain  Perkins,  mortally  wounded — a  brave 
soldier  and  true  patriot — Lieutenant  Victor  Wolf  succeeding  in  com 
mand.  In  his  report,  General  Palmer  highly  complimented  the  'Regi 
ment  that  bore  the  Eagle.'  " — J.  O.  Barrett. 


40  REMINISCENCES 

and  should  it  be  our  lot  to  fall,  we  could  not  desire  a 
death  more  glorious  than  theirs. 

"3d. — That  we  deeply  sympathize  with  the  sorrow 
ing  relatives  and  friends  of  the  deceased  in  their  bereave 
ment,  for  we  know  full  well  how  heavily  and  sadly  the 
intelligence  will  fall  upon  their  hearts  that  loved  and 
honored  members  of  the  family  and  social  circle  will 
return  no  more,  that  they  have  been  stricken  down  in  the 
vigor  of  manhood,  upon  the  bloody  battle  field,  and  sleep 
their  last  sleep  in  a  distant  land. 

"4th. — That  the  editors  of  newspapers  in  Wisconsin 
be  requested  to  publish  these  resolutions." 


TO  MRS.  LYON. 

"Near  Farmington,  May  10,  1862. — At  last  we  have 
been  under  fire  and  have  come  out  unscathed.  I  suc 
ceeded  in  'keeping  cooF  throughout,  thus  satisfying  my 
superior  officers  and  the  expectations  of  my  own  men.  I 
can  not  say  that  I  lost  the  sense  of  personal  danger,  and 
1  know  that  I  did  not  lose  the  apprehension  of  danger  to 
my  men  during  the  battle ;  yet  I  had  nerve  and  self-com 
mand,  and  that  it  all  I  expected.  I  am  called  off  on 
fatigue  duty." 

"Camp  Redfield,  May  13,  1862.— I  was  called  off  to 
superintend  building  a  road  through  a  swamp.  I  was 
sent  out  with  Captain  Young's  company  (he  being  sick) . 
We  were  out  nearly  all  night,  being  within  one-half  or 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  rebel  pickets.  I  was 
very  weary  and  did  not  write  yesterday.  We  are  all  in 
good  health  and  spirits.  Reinforcements  continue  to 
pour  in  to  us  and  we  have  an  immense  army  here.  If 
they  stand  us  a  fight  we  shall  whip  them,  but  since 
they  have  run  away  from  New  Orleans,  Yorktown  and 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  41 

Norfolk,  I  almost  believe  they  will  run  away  from  Cor 
inth.  I  still  feel  that  I  shall  come  home  to  you  safely.  I 
felt  so  when  the  storm  of  death  beat  around  me  on  the 
battle  field.  I  knew  that  from  the  lips  and  hearts  I  love 
so  dearly  in  my  far-off  home  earnest  prayers  went  up  for 
my  safety,  and  it  nerved  me  to  do  my  duty  fearlessly  in 
the  hour  of  peril  and  death;  and  the  greater  the  peril 
that  surrounds  me,  the  more  clear  are  my  convictions 
that  I  am  where  I  ought  to  be.  Let  us  both  with  fervent 
faith  and  undoubting  trust  commit  our  future  destiny 
to  His  hands  'Who  doeth  all  things  well'." 

"May  16,  1862. — We  are  ordered  to  march  at  day 
light  with  two  days'  cooked  rations.  It  may  be  for  an 
other  reconnaisance,  and  it  may  be — and  probably  is— 
an  advance  of  the  whole  army  upon  Corinth.  In  that 
case  the  rebels  must  fight  or  run,  and  it  is  about  an  even 
chance  which  they  will  do.  We  do  not  for  an  instant 
lose  our  faith  in  our  ability  to  whip  them.  You  had  bet 
ter  not  lay  plans  to  come  to  me  in  case  of  accident,  for  I 
would  come  home  if  unable  to  do  duty." 

"Farmington,  Miss.,  Tuesday  a.  m.,  May  20,  1862.— 
On  Saturday,  just  at  night,  our  whole  force  ad 
vanced  about  three  miles  to  this  place.  We  are  about  a 
mile  south  of  our  battle  ground  of  the  9th  inst.  We 
bivouacked  that  night  in  line  of  battle  and  the  next 
morning  went  to  work  and  entrenched  ourselves.  This  is 
done  by  digging  ditches  sufficiently  wide  for  two  ranks, 
and  deep  enough  so  that  the  men  when  standing  can  just 
see  to  shoot  over  the  embankment  of  dirt  from  the  trench 
which  is  thrown  up  on  the  outside.  When  the  men  sit 
down  they  are  completely  out  of  sight  below  the  surface, 
and  perfectly  safe  unless  a  ball  or  shell  happens  to  fall 
directly  in  the  trench.  The  artillery  is  posted  directly 
behind  us  and  shoots  over  our  heads. 

"Behind   our   regiment   are  ten   field   pieces,   one 
twelve-pound  howitzer  for  shell,  four  ten-pound  Parrott 


42  REMINISCENCES 

guns  and  five  six-pound  brass  pieces.  Then  immediately 
on  our  left  is  a  battery  of  four  thirty-two-pound  Parrott 
siege  guns;  and  this  is  a  specimen  of  our  defenses 
through  the  whole  line  stretchinig  miles  away  to  the 
north. 

"We  are  waiting  here  now  for  the  rebels  to  attack 
us,  as  our  position  is  very  strong.  We  are  on  an  eleva 
tion,  with  a  broad  plateau  of  cleared  fields  be 
fore  us  which  they  must  cross  before  they  can 
reach  us.  There  is  constant  firing  of  pickets  and 
some  cannonading  up  the  line  every  day  at  dif 
ferent  points.  I  hear  the  big  guns  talking  now  a  few 
miles  north  of  us.  If  they  do  not  attack  us  here  we  shall 
soon  move  up  still  nearer  to  them  and  fortify  another 
line.  At  the  longest  I  think  the  struggle  will  be  over  here 
in  the  course  of  two  weeks,  perhaps  sooner.  We  do  not 
doubt  our  ability  to  defeat  them.  I  feel  calm  in  view  of 
the  approaching  contest.  My  greatest  solicitude  is  for 
the  brave  boys  that  I  lead  to  battle ;  but  they,  and  all  of 
us,  are  engaged  in  a  righteous  cause  and  are  in  the  hands 
of  Him  'Who  doeth  all  things  well.'  Now,  be  brave  and 
hopeful.  You  will  hear  of  the  great  battle  many  days 
before  you  know  my  fate,  as  I  can  not  telegraph  to  you. 
I  will  write  as  quickly  as  I  can.  I  am  in  perfect  health." 

( The  following  letter  was  written  in  the  trenches  in 
lead  pencil,  on  the  brown  paper  that  was  wrapped 
around  his  loaf  of  bread )  : 

"May  31,  1862. — I  wrote  you  yesterday  in  the 
trenches,  two  miles  from  Corinth  and  one  mile  from  the 
rebel  fortifications.  Today  I  write  you  from  the  same 
place. 

"Yesterday  there  was  a  brisk  artillery  fight,  lasting 
nearly  all  day,  between  one  of  our  batteries  and  a  rebel 
fort  a  mile  off,  mounting  four  guns.  Their  shell  and 
shot  passed  over  our  entrenchments,  in  which  we  lay 
quietly  and  safely.  During  the  night  there  have  been 


OF   THE   CIVIL   WAR  43 

movements  going  on  which  convince  us  that  Corinth  is 
evacuated.  There  has  been  great  activity  among  our 
troops  this  morning,  and  as  I  write  our  men  are  taking 
possession,  without  fighting,  of  the  fort  that  fired  at  us  so 
vigorously  yesterday  and  on  Wednesday.  The  stars  and 
stripes  wave  over  it  in  plain  view  of  us,  and  the  wild 
cheers  of  our  men  give  but  a  faint  expression  of  our  de 
light. 

"Lieut.  Lathrop,  of  Company  I,  who  is  acting  as 
Aide  to  Colonel  Loomis,  in  temporary  command  of  our 
brigade,  just  rode  along  our  lines  and  informed  us  that 
two  of  our  regiments  were  already  in  Corinth.  And 
thus,  through  the  masterly  generalship  of  General  Hal- 
leek,  the  battle  of  Corinth  has  been  fought  and  won  with 
so  little  loss  of  life.  Where  the  rebels  have  gone,  or 
what  our  future  movements  will  be,  is  yet  a  profound 
mystery  to  us.  And  now,  after  telling  you  for  the  fif 
tieth  time  that  I  am  perfectly  well  and  that  the  health  of 
the  boys  is  very  good,  I  will  give  you  a  few  more  details 
of  the  fight. 

"On  Wednesday  the  rebel  line  of  attack  was  im 
mediately  in  front  of  the  8th  Wisconsin  and  the  5th 
Minnesota,  posted  on  our  left.  We  lay  behind  the  brow 
of  a  slight  elevation  of  ground.  We  heard  the  rebels 
coming,  heard  their  officers  cheering  them  on  in  terms 
more  earnest  than  polite,  but  we  lay  still  until  they 
were  within  ten  rods  of  us,  when  the  old  8th  rose  and 
poured  a  volley  into  them  that  threw  them  into  the  wild 
est  confusion.  Before  they  reached  the  woods  in  their 
rear  we  poured  ten  more  volleys  into  them.  As  they  re 
treated  our  artillery  got  a  raking  fire  on  them,  killing 
and  wounding  large  numbers.  We  found  fifteen  or 
twenty  dead  and  wounded  immediately  in  front  of  our 
company.  The  dead  we  buried,  the  wounded  we  cared 
for. 

"Our  regiment  stood  firm  to  a  man,  and  did  the  most 


44  REMINISCENCES 

of  the  fighting  done  by  infantry  on  that  day.  Thou 
sands  of  men  saw  us  in  the  fight,  and  everybody  speaks 
in  the  highest  terms  of  the  courage  of  the  8th.  Let  Wis 
consin  be  assured  that  her  honor  will  never  be  com 
promised  by  her  sons  of  the  'Eagle  Regiment.' 

"Our  loss  is  remarkably  light.  I  have  already  told 
you  that  Ralph  M.  Coon  of  my  company  was  killed.  He 
was  standing  in  the  front  ranks,  fighting  bravely,  and 
was  shot  through  the  body.  He  said  he  was  wounded, 
walked  calmly  to  the  rear,  and  was  carried  off  the  field. 
He  soon  became  insensible  and  died  in  an  hour.  We  sent 
his  body  back  to  the  camp,  and  yesterday  sorrowing 
friends  laid  the  brave  young  hero  in  his  last  resting 
place.  Let  his  name  be  added  to  the  roll  of  honor ! 

"Charles  Noyes,  also  of  Company  K,  was  severely 
wounded  in  the  leg,  just  above  the  knee.  He,  too,  \\as 
in  the  front  rank,  bravely  doing  his  duty  when  he  was 
struck.  He  appears  to  be  doing  well  and  is  in  good  spir 
its.  S.  A.  Henderson  was  also  slightly  wounded  in  the 
hand. 

"I  must  give  you  a  little  circumstance,  too  good  to 
be  lost,  showing  the  temper  of  some  of  our  boys. 

"Lucas  Lathrop,  son  of  A.  H.  Lathrop,  of  Mount 
Pleasant,  is  as  fine  a  specimen  of  a  soldier  and  patriot 
as  you  will  find.  Brave,  intelligent  and  earnest,  he  has 
gained  the  respect  of  the  entire  regiment.  He  is  a  sol 
dier  of  the  Cromwellian  stamp,  a  devoted  Christian,  car 
rying  his  religion  with  him,  holding  prayer  meetings  in 
his  tent,  and  striving  to  set  a  worthy  example  to  his 
comrades.  Speaking  of  him  in  a  recent  skirmish,  one 
writes  the  following  incident: 

"  'Lathrop  and  Finch  were  standing  side  by  side 
loading  their  guns.  Not  far  in  advance  of  them  stood  a 
great,  powerful  looking  rebel  sharpshooter,  also  loading 
his  piece.  Lathrop  saw  him,  and  tapping  Finch  on  the 
shoulder  said,  pointing :  "There  stands  a  tolerably  large 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  45 

man,"  and  deliberately  drawing  his  gun  to  his  shoulder, 
fired.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  traitor  never  finished 
loading  his  gun.  Lathrop  turned  coolly  around  and  re 
marked:  "Mr.  Finch,  I  think  I  hurt  that  man,  but  it 
can't  be  helped  now." 

"Booneville,  25  miles  south  of  Corinth,  June  4, 1862. 
—We  marched  until  midnight  last  night,  I  don't  know 
what  we  are  here  for  or  where  the  enemy  is,  I  am  very 
weary.  I  have  not  been  in  camp  for  over  a  week,  yet  I 
keep  well.  It  is  singular  that  the  rebel  army  has  twice 
as  much  sickness  as  we  have,  and  they  are  accustomed  to 
the  climate  and  we  are  not.  I  saw  Spud  Smith,  who  told 
me  all  about  you  and  the  pets.  It  was  a  great  comfort 
to  me." 

"Camp  near  Booneville,  Miss.,  25  miles  south  of  Cor 
inth,  on  Mobile  &  Ohio  R.  R.,  Sunday,  June  8,  1862.— 
We  are  lying  quietly  here,  encamped  in  a  beautiful 
grove,  on  dry,  clean  land.  Our  regiment  is  in  better 
health  than  almost  any  regiment  near  us,  and  yet  we 
have  a  large  number  of  sick  men  back  in  the  hospitals. 
For  myself,  I  seem  to  grow  stronger  and  more  healthy 
every  day.  The  climate  seems  well  adapted  to  my  con 
stitution.  We  have  warm  days  usually,  with  cool,  de 
licious  nights.  I  sleep  every  night  on  the  ground  under 
a  shelter  of  boughs,  our  tents  not  having  yet  reached  us, 
with  nothing  but  a  rubber  blanket  under  me,  and  I  sleep 
soundly  and  sweetly.  I  do  not  think  we  shall  move  from 
here  until  the  Mississippi  river  is  open  so  that  we  can 
get  our  supplies  by  railroad  from  Memphis.  We  now 
have  to  haul  them  with  teams  from  Hamburg,  between 
forty  and  fifty  miles  distant.  The  Tennessee  river  will 
soon  be  so  low  that  it  will  be  difficult  to  get  them  to 
Hamburg. 

"I  have  no  idea  where  Beauregard's  army  is,  but  we 
have  plenty  of  evidence  that  it  is  sadly  demoralized.  I 
do  not  expect  any  more  hard  fighting  here,  for  I  do  not 


46  REMINISCENCES 

believe  that  the  rebels  will  face  us,  but  I  may  be  mis 
taken.  If  McClellan  takes  Kichmond,  and  the  Missis 
sippi  is  speedily  opened,  I  shall  confidently  expect  a 
speedy  termination  of  this  wicked  rebellion.  Then,  our 
duty  performed  and  our  beloved  country  relieved  from 
peril,  with  glad  emotions  will  we  return  to  the  arms  of 
our  loved  ones  and  to  the  sacred  peace  of  our  happy 
homes.  God  speed  the  joyful  hour ! 

"I  have  now  been  in  two  fierce  battles  and  have  faced 
death  for  long,  weary  hours,  and  amid  the  wild  terrors  of 
the  contest  have  been  enabled  by  our  kind  Heavenly 
Father  to  preserve  my  self-command  and  do  my  duty. 
Oh,  how  sublime  a  scene  is  a  battle !  I  can  not  describe 
it,  but  it  seemed  like  the  thunder  on  Sinai  or  the  day  of 
judgment,  as  our  imaginations  picture  those  wonderful 
events.  Aside  from  its  fearful  perils,  a  battle  fills  the 
soul  with  the  most  sublime  emotions.  Then  life  is  re 
garded  at  its  true  value,  and  the  obligations  of  honor, 
patriotism,  duty  and  humble  trust  in  God  fire  the  soul 
to  meet  manfully  the  terrible  responsibilities  of  the 
hour.  I  thank  God  most  devoutly  that  I  have  been  en 
abled  to  render  some  service  to  my  country,  and  that 
thus  far  our  sweet  babes  will  never  have  occasion  to 
blush  at  the  thought  that  their  father  failed  to  do  his 
duty.  The  conviction  that  I  shall  return  to  you  in  safety 
at  the  end  of  the  war  keeps  my  feelings  constantly  calm 
and  happy,  and  I  sincerely  hope  that  you  feel  so.  I  am 
well  satisfied  that  I  did  not  accept  the  promotion  to  the 
18th,  for  I  feel  justifiable  pride  in  the  renown  which  our 
regiment  has  achieved.  I  feel  now  very  clearly  that  it 
is  my  duty  to  keep  with  my  company.  The  devotion  of 
my  men  to  me,  evidenced  in  a  thousand  ways,  often 
brings  tears  to  my  eyes. 

"I  am  vexed  with  the  newspapers.  Some  of 
them  are  dissatisfied  because  we  did  not  fight  a  great 
battle  and,  of  course,  have  a  great  slaughter;  and  they 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR 


call  the  whole  operation  a  defeat.  This  is  frightfully, 
cruelly  wicked.  These  men  are  in  a  rage  because  ten 
thousand  more  homes  are  not  desolated.  The  fact  is, 
the  whole  campaign  has  been  conducted  with  the  most 
consummate  generalship.  Corinth  is  a  most  important 
position  in  a  military  point  of  view,  flanking  both  Fort 
Pillow  and  Memphis.  We  wanted  the  position.  The 
rebels  themselves,  with  their  arms  and  supplies,  were  of 
but  little  consequence  to  us.  We  won  the  position  with 
but  little  loss  of  life,  and  these  cowardly  home-guards 
gnash  their  teeth  in  impotent  rage  because  no  more  of 
us  were  butchered." 

"Camp  five  miles  south  of  Corinth,  Friday,  June  13, 
1862.  —  I  have  been  doing  picket  duty  at  Booneville.  We 
shall  probably  remain  here  some  time.  Indeed,  I  think 
we  are  in  summer  quarters,  unless  some  exigency  of  the 
war  should  call  us  away.  We  are  encamped  in  scatter 
ing  timber,  on  a  dry  and,  I  think,  healthy  location.  We 
have  hot  days,  but  cool  and  comfortable  nights,  and  no 
mosquitos.  The  water  is  tolerably  good. 

"General  Halleck  turned  all  of  the  lying  newspaper 
reporters  out  of  his  camp  after  the  battle  of  Farming- 
ton.  Hence  their  hostility  to  him.  The  army  is  well 
satisfied  with  him  and  has  unbounded  confidence  in  him. 
He  was  not  fooled  by  quaker  guns,  for  there  were  none  of 
these  weapons  at  Corinth  except  a  rusty  revolver  of 
mine  which  wont  shoot  !  I  have  already  explained  to  you 
that  the  position  was  what  we  wanted,  and  it  does  seem 
to  us  here  that  it  was  better  to  win  it  without  much 
bloodshed.  Talk  about  soldiers  getting  blood-thirsty! 
Why,  the  desire  which  seems  prevalent  at  the  North  that 
thousands  of  us  should  have  been  uselessly  butchered 
before  the  formidable  entrenchments  at  Corinth  beats  us 
blind  in  cool  blood-thirstiness  !  My  dear,  put  not  your 
trust  in  the  newspapers!" 

"Camp  near  Clear  Creek,  Miss.,  Tuesday,  June  17, 


48  REMINISCENCES 

1862. — I  went  over  to  the  16th  Regiment,  which  is  lo 
cated  near  Corinth,  about  four  miles  from  here,  and 
stayed  all  night  with  Sperry.  He  is  perfectly  healthy, 
and  fleshier  than  I  ever  saw  him.  He  expects  every  day 
to  receive  his  commission  as  2d  Lieutenant  from  April 
29th.  His  pay  will  be  f  105  per  month  from  that  date  in 
stead  of  $20,  which  he  received  before.  He  stands  a 
chance  of  being  Captain  within  sixty  days,  I  also  saw 
Colonel  Bouck,  of  the  18th.  Neither  of  these  regiments 
can  turn  out  two  hundred  well  men.  They  have  not  been 
in  any  fight  since  the  battle  of  Shiloh." 

"June  20,  1862.— Last  night  it  was  quite  cold.  We 
were  out  on  grand  guard  duty.  I  slept  on  the  ground 
out  of  doors,  with  nothinig  but  a  rubber  blanket  under 
me  and  an  elevation  of  ground  for  a  pillowr.  I  had  a  lit 
tle  cold  yesterday,  but  today  I  am  nearly  well.  I  live 
quite  luxuriously  in  camp.  Our  mess  consists  of  Lieut. 
Smith,  Henry  Bull,  A.  S.  Henderson,  of  Bloomfield,  and 
myself.  We  have  a  large  Secesh  tent  with  an  awning  in 
front,  and  live  principally  on  biscuit,  ham,  black  tea,  and 
pork  and  beans.  The  boys  make  excellent  biscuit." 

"June  24,  1862. — Although  I  have  considerable  to 
do,  yet  the  duties  of  one  day  are  so  much  like  those  of 
another  that  life  is  monotonous.  I  will  tell  you  how  we 
spend  the  time.  Drill  from  5 :30  to  7  a,  m. ;  recitation  in 
army  regulations  at  10,  in  tactics  at  2  p.  m.  and  drill 
from  5 :30  to  7  p.  m. ;  the  intervals  filled  up  in  study, 
doing  company  business  (of  which  there  is  consider 
able),  eating,  sleeping  and  smoking,  are  the  pursuits 
and  occupations  of  a  day.  The  routine  is  broken  about 
one  day  in  eight  by  grand  guard  duty,  which  sends  us  to 
the  wroods  about  a  mile  from  camp  for  twenty-four  hours, 
and  in  pleasant  weather  is  a  great  relief." 

"Camp  Clear  Creek,  Miss.,  Friday,  June  27,  1862.— 
We  are  still  here,  pursuing  the  old  routine  of  duty,  and 
I  am  still  entirely  well." 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  49 

"Camp  Clear  Creek,  Miss.,  Sunday,  June  28.— The 
boys  are  usually  well,  but  I  have  quite  a  number  sick  at 
the  hospital  ten  miles  back,  none  dangerously.  Out  of 
63  men  here,  all,  except  three  or  four,  are  fit  for  duty, 
and  none  of  them  are  very  sick ;  yet  I  notice  that  when  a 
man  gets  sick  here  it  takes  a  long  tme  for  him  to  recover 
his  strength  again,  but  the  men  have  to  stay  right  here 
and  do  the  best  they  can.  There  are  but  few  paroles  now 
granted  to  either  officers  or  enlisted  men,  and  it  has  be 
come  almost  impossible  for  an  enlisted  man  to  get  a  dis 
charge.  An  officer  can  only  get  his  resignation  accepted 
on  account  of  sickness.  Many  of  our  regiment  have  been 
taken  sick  and  resigned  since  we  came  up  the  Tennessee. 
I  think  this  climate  well  adapted  to  my  constitution,  and 
I  have  no  fear  of  being  sick,  neither  have  I  the  least  dis 
position  to  leave  the  service  until  this  rebellion  is  put 
down.  When  that  will  be,  God  only  knows;  but  I  do  not 
despair  of  getting  home  next  fall.  I  see  no  prospect  of 
any  more  fighting  this  summer,  if  ever. 

"We  are  under  marching1  orders  to  leave  in  an  hour. 
I  do  not  know  to  what  point  we  are  going,  but  I  hear  it 
is  Ripley,  a  place  west  of  here  and  south  of  Grand  Junc 
tion,  on  the  Miss.  Cent.  R.  R." 

"Camp  Clear  Creek,  Miss.,  July  1,  1862.— We  went 
to  Danville,  a  little  huddle  of  a  dozen  old  houses,  four 
miles  south  of  this  place,  and  the  next  day  went  five 
miles  farther  south  to  a  small  village,  Rienzi,  where  our 
orders  were  countermanded,  and  we  returned  to  Dan 
ville.  Remained  there  over  night,  and  came  into  camp 
this  morning.  I  have  learned  that  we  started  for  Holly 
Springs,  seventy  miles  west  of  here,  but  a  force  that  pre 
ceded  us  found  that  we  were  not  needed  there,  hence  the 
countermand. 

"There  is  a  rumor  here  that  General  Pope,  who  has 
been  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Shenandoah  Val 
ley  in  Virginia,  is  trying  to  get  the  Army  of  the  Missis- 


50  REMINISCENCES 

sippi  transferred  to  that  section.  The  men  all  hope  it 
is  true  and  that  he  will  succeed.  I  think  the  decisive 
tight  must  occur  at  Richmond,  however,  before  we  get 
there.  I  doubt  whether  there  is  any  considerable  force  of 
the  rebel  troops  in  this  section,  and  I  do  not  expect  any 
more  fighting  here  this  summer." 

"July  5,  1862. — I  had  a  very  pleasant  visit  from  Dr. 
Miller,  of  Geneva.  He  is  appointed  surgeon  of  the  6th 
Wisconsin  Battery,  Captain  Dillon,  which  is  at  Rienzi, 
nine  miles  from  us.  He  stayed  all  night  with  us,  and 
then  went  to  his  post.  I  enjoyed  his  visit  very  much  in 
deed. 

"Colonel  Heg  called  to  see  me  yesterday.  His  regi 
ment,  the  15th,  is  encamped  near  us.  Out  of  750  men  we 
have  here  in  camp,  not  more  than  40  are  sick,  none  seri 
ously  so.  My  own  health  is  perfect,  not  a  throb  of  pain, 
scarcely  of  weariness,  and  the  health  tingling  to  my  very 
toes'  ends. 

"We  hold  ourselves  in  readiness  to  march  any  hour, 
and  in  any  direction.  We  think  that  Beauregard's  army 
has  not  gone  to  Richmond,  but  that  a  part  of  it  is  at 
Vicksburg  and  the  balance  about  fifty  miles  south  of  us 
on  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  R.  R.,  near  Okolona.  I  think  we 
shall  neither  attack  them  nor  be  attacked  by  them  very 
soon.  Their  cavalry  scouts  have  been  within  twenty 
miles  of  us  at  Booneville  and  had  a  skirmish  with  our 
cavalry.  Things  look  better  at  Richmond  since  McClel- 
lan  has  changed  his  front,  contracted  his  lines,  and  got 
out  of  the  swamps." 

"July  9, 1862. — I  see  there  has  been  terrible  fighting 
at  Richmond,  we  fighting,  as  usual,  against  fearful  odds. 
My  only  surprise  is  that  our  army  was  not  annihilated. 
This  check,  unless  speedily  retrieved,  will  prolong  the 
war  a  year,  but  the  effect  of  it,  I  think,  will  be  to  send 
immense  reinforcements  to  the  field  and  insure  a  more 
vigorous  and  more  severe  prosecution  of  the  war.  The 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  51 

time  has  come,  or  will  soon  come,  to  march  through  this 
nest  of  vipers  with  fire  and  sword,  to  liberate  every  slave. 
I  would  like  to  help  do  that.  Wisconsin  has  sent  over 
twenty  thousand  men  to  the  field,  and  must  send  within 
ninety  days  five  thousand  more,  even  though  the  drafting 
process  be  resorted  to.  I  do  not  know  as  it  is  right,  but 
life  seems  of  no  value  to  me  unless  we  can  crush  out  this 
rebellion  and  restore  our  Government;  and  we  shall  do 
il,  if  every  man  is  driven  to  the  field  and  our  rivers  run 
red  with  blood  for  a  generation." 

"Camp  Clear  Creek,  Miss.,  Sunday,  July  13, 1862.— 
This  is  the  only  way  I  can  celebrate  your  birthday,  to 
write  a  long  letter.  Well,  my  dear,  you  are  thirty-six 
years  old,  are  you?  Old  enough  to  be  a  grandmother !  I 
think  it  about  time  for  you  to  give  up  thinking  you  are 
good  looking,  and  begin  to  learn  how  to  grow  old  grace 
fully.  Confidentially,  however,  to  me  you  are,  etc.,  etc. 
I  wonder  what  you  will  have  for  dinner  today,  and  speak 
ing  of  dinner  reminds  me  that  some  time  ago  you  asked 
me  to  tell  you  how  I  live,  which  I  believe  I  have  neg 
lected  to  do  thus  far.  I  do  not  mean  that  I  have  neg 
lected  to  live,  but  I  have  failed  to  give  you  the  modus 
operandi — to  tell  you  how  the  thing  is  done. 

"Reveille  beats  at  daylight.  We  get  up,  clean  our 
tents  and  quarters,  shake  blankets,  wash,  and  at  5 :30  a. 
m.  turn  out  and  drill  for  an  hour.  Then  we  have  breakfast 
— ham,  warm  biscuit  and  very  good  butter,  black  tea, 
pickles,  blackberries  or  currant  sauce,  is  the  usual  bill 
of  fare  for  breakfast ;  ditto  for  dinner,  ditto  for  supper. 
I  consume  very  large  quantities.  We  get  ham,  flour  and 
tea  of  the  commissary;  pickles,  butter,  cheese,  etc.,  of 
the  sutler.  Once  in  a  great  while  I  smoke.  I  have  done 
so  today.  I  think  I  may  possibly  repeat  it  before  night. 
We  have  battalion  drill  at  5 :30  p.  m.,  and  dress  parade 
until  sundown;  tattoo  at  8:30,  and  then  to  our  downy 
beds.  Mine  is  luxurious.  I  smoothed  it  off  the  other 


52  REMINISCENCES 

day  with  a  spade.  As  usual,  I  shirk  a  good  deal.  For 
instance,  I  make  the  sergeants  and  corporals  take  charge 
of  the  company  at  morning  drill,  under  pretense  of  their 
learning  how  to  give  the  commands !  Then  I  divide  the 
company  into  squads,  and  put  a  sergeant  over  each 
squad,  charged  with  the  duty  of  seeing  to  the  men— 
their  cleanliness,  their  arms — in  short,  everything.  This 
I  do  under  pretense  that  the  'Regulations'  require  it. 
'Regulations'  is  a  great  institution  in  the  army.  It 
teaches  us  'how  not  to  do  it/  which  is  the  true  philos 
ophy  of  thinking.  Blessed  be  the  man  who  invented  the 
'Regulations.'  So,  when  I  say,  'we'  do  anything,  you  will 
understand  that  I  speak  in  a  sort  of  Pickwickian  sense. 
1  mean  that  the  boys  do  it  and  I  help  them  if  I  can't 
dodge.  This  last  remark  applies  with  peculiar  force  to 
the  one  item  of  getting  up  in  the  morning  before  day 
light," 

"Camp  Clear  Creek,  Miss.,  Monday,  July  21,  1862. 

—Yesterday  I  was  Field  Officer  of  the  Day  (the  officer 

who  has  charge  of  the  pickets  and  outside  posts),  and  I 

was  in  the  saddle  nearly  all  day  and  tramping  a  good 

deal  of  the  night,  so  I  feel  stupid  today. 

"I  keep  your  picture  hanging  in  my  tent,  where  I 
can  lie  on  my  bed,  that  is,  on  the  ground,  and  gaze  at  it 
and  get  sentimental,  and  fight  flies.  Speaking  of  flies, 
the  Egyptian  plagues,  although  they  had  locusts,  and 
lice,  and  frogs,  I  believe,  were  a  failure,  because  they  did 
not  have  flies.  Such  swarms  of  them  as  infest  our 
camps,  drawn  here  by  the  debris  of  a  great  army,  you 
can  not  conceive  of.  They  are  the  common  house  fly 
and,  like  everything  else  here,  are  dull  and  stupid — 
don't  know  enough  to  go  when  you  tell  them  to.  So 
much  for  flies." 

"Camp  Clear  Creek,  Miss.,  July  28,  1862.— So  you 
fear  my  good  spirits  are  assumed.  Nary  a  bit  of  it. 
With  an  appetite  that  enables  me  to  eat  two  rations, 


OF    THE    CIVIL   WAR  53 

with  physical  vigor  that  keeps  me  free  from  an  ache  or  a 
pain  and  lets  me  sleep  on  the  hard  earth  as  soundly  and 
sweetly  as  I  ever  did  on  the  softest  bed,  with  a  tolerably 
good  looking,  middle  aged  wife  and  two  cute  children 
'up  North/  with  the  consciousness  of  doing  my  duty, 
and  an  increasing  habitual  reliance  upon  the  protection 
of  Divine  Providence,  why  shouldn't  I  be  in  good  spirits ! 

"Should  you  hear  rumors  that  the  North  is  whipped, 
you  need  not  believe  it,  ?Tis  no  such  thing.  History 
doesn't  tell  of  so  successful  a  campaign  as  ours  has  been 
since  the  first  of  February.  Some  reverses  were  to  be 
expected,  but  no  Government  ever  conducted  a  war  on 
so  large  a  scale  with  so  few  reverses  as  has  ours.  Slavery 
will  be  wiped  out.  The  South  will  be  subdued,  and  any 
nation  on  earth  that  interferes  with  us  will  get  war 
until  it  is  tired  of  it." 

"Cainp  Clear  Creek,  Miss.,  July  31,  1862.— You  are 
mistaken  in  supposing  that  we  are  meeting  writh  re 
verses  out  here.  These  raids  of  guerillas  have  no  signifi 
cance,  whatever.  A  few  of  them  pitch  into  an  unpro 
tected  town  of  no  consequence,  rob,  steal  and  burn,  and 
then  skedaddle.  They  have  not  taken  a  single  place  oc 
cupied  by  our  troops,  of  any  value  to  us,  except  Mur- 
freesboro  in  Tennessee,  and  that  was  retaken  in  a  very 
few  days.  So  don't  let  your  heart  be  troubled  when  you 
read  all  these  sensational  dispatches  about  guerilla  oper 
ations.  They  serve  one  good  purpose,  however,  and  that 
is  to  encourage  enlistment  at  the  North. 

"I  think  this  gigantic  rebellion  will  be  put  down 
without  resorting  to  a  draft,  every  soldier  of  the  1,000,- 
000  who  aids  in  doing  it  being  a  volunteer.  History 
furnishes  no  parallel  to  this.  The  whole  policy  of  the 
Government  is  now  changed,  and  war  from  henceforth  is 
to  be  wur.  Where  the  army  of  the  Union  goes,  there 
slavery  ceases  forever.  It  is  astonishing  how  soon  the 
blacks  have  learned  this,  and  they  are  flocking  in  con- 


54  REMINISCENCES 

siderable  numbers  already  in  our  lines.  The  people  here 
will  learn  before  this  war  is  over  that  'The  way  of  the 
transgressor  is  hard/ 

"Tell  our  Canada  friends,  many  of  whom  seem  to  be 
groping  in  the  darkness  in  regard  to  us,  that  this  is  a 
war  for  civil  and  religious  liberty,  for  civilization,  for 
Cristianity,  on  the  part  of  this  Government  against 
crime,  oppression  and  barbarism;  and  that  all  of  their 
sympathies  ought  to  be  with  us.  But  whether  foreign 
nations  comprehend  the  true  bearings  of  this  struggle  or 
not,  as  sure  as  there  is  justice  on  earth  or  a  God  in 
heaven,  we  shall  triumph.  I  shall  not  think  of  leaving 
the  service  so  long  as  I  have  an  arm  to  wield  a  sword  or 
a  voice  to  encourage  my  men  to  fight  in  so  holy  a  cause. 
But  I  find  I  am  making  a  stump  speech,  so  I  close." 

"Camp  Clear  Creek,  Miss.,  Sunday,  Aug.  6,  1862.— 
Once  in  a  while  we  hear  that  we  are  soon  to  make  a  for 
ward  movement,  but  it  is  doubtful  about  our  moving  far 
or  trying  to  do  very  much  for  a  month  yet.  The  weather 
is  too  hot  for  that.  Then,  while  we  are  strong  enough  to 
hold  our  present  position,  we  shall  need  considerable  re 
inforcements  when  we  again  take  the  offensive.  All 
these  things,  however,  are  delightfully  uncertain." 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR 


55 


bout  July  1,  1862,  my  father  was 
stricken  with  paralysis.  My  sister, 
Mrs.  Susie  Adams,  and  myself  were 
hurriedly  summoned  to  Canada.  The 
doctor  said  that  his  condition  was 
critical,  and  we  left  immediately. 
Upon  our  arrival  we  found  my  father 
somewhat  improved,  and  his  conva- 
lescence  continued  from  that  time 
until  he  was  entirely  well.  We  remained  in  Canada 
about  three  weeks. 

On  the  9th  day  of  August,  1862,  Captain  Lyon  was 
Field  Officer  of  the  day,  and  on  account  of  the  sickness  of 
so  many  of  the  officers  he  was  obliged  to  do  double  duty. 
The  day  was  fearfully  hot  and  he  became  very  much  ex 
hausted.  In  the  afternoon  when  he  returned  to  camp  he 
felt  so  weary  that  he  lay  down  on  the  ground  in  his  tent. 
He  remembered  that  Colonel  Murphy  came  into  his  tent 
and  told  him  that  he  had  been  commissioned  Colonel  of 
the  13th  Regiment,  but  it  made  no  particular  impression 
upon  his  mind.  He  also  remembered  that  the  Lieutenant 
came  into  his  tent  and  looked  at  him,  and  later  that  he 
brought  Dr.  Murta  to  him.*  The  following  letter,  dated 
August  17,  1862,  was  received  from  our  brother-in-law, 
A.  S.  Northrup: 

"I  have  just  returned  from  the  8th  Regiment  on  a 
visit  to  Wm.  P.  Lyon.  Colonel  Lyon,  of  the  13th,  he  is 
now.  Found  him  rather  poorly.  He  has  been  sick  about 
a  week,  but  the  surgeon  says  that  he  is  now  on  the  gain. 

*  This  was  the  last  of  my  service  with  the  8th  Regiment.  While 
I  was  ill  the  regiment  moved  down  to  Tuscumbia,  past  luka.  I  went 
over  to  Corinth  on  my  recovery  and  resigned  as  a  Captain  of  the  8th. 
Bartlett  took  the  place  of  Captain  of  Company  K.  Smith  had  been 
made  Captain  of  Company  B.  He  was  a  fine  soldier  and  popular.  I 
went  home  for  a  month  on  leave  of  absence.  A  few  days  after  I  left 
Price  came  and  the  rebels  were  whipped.  There  was  a  good  deal  of 
fighting  about  there  then.  After  I  left,  the  8th  was  in  the  fight  that 
is  called  the  last  battle  before  Corinth.  When  I  felt  able  to  go  on 
duty  again  I  went  to  Madison  and  mustered  in  as  Colonel  of  the  13th 
and  went  back  South.  I  found  my  regiment  at  Fort  Henry. — W.  P.  L. 


56  REMINISCENCES 

I  should  judge  from  what  I  learned  that  he  has  been 
quite  sick,  but  the  doctor  says  that  there  is  no  danger 
but  that  he  will  get  along  now.  He  is  relieved  from 
duty  in  the  8th  and  will  join  his  regiment,  the  13th,  at 
Columbus  as  soon  as  able.  His  disease,  the  doctor  says, 
is  a  slow,  dull  kind  of  fever.  It  will  take  time  for  him 
to  get  over  it,  but  he  does  not  apprehend  any  danger  at 
all.  I  think  he  is  a  little  worried  about  himself,  espe 
cially  as  the  8th  is  about  moving  some  seventy  miles  to 
Tuscumbia,  Ala.,  and  his  surgeon  thinks  he  had  better 
go  with  them,  for  a  while  at  least,  as  they  understand 
his  case  and  think  it  would  be  better  than  to  put  him 
into  strange  hands.  It  is  not  certain  that  the  regiment 
will  go  farther  than  luka,  about  25  miles  on  the  Mem 
phis  and  Charleston  R.  R.  William  went  on  the  cars.  I 
happened  there  just  in  time  to  see  him  a  little  while  and 
help  him  aboard.  I  took  his  cot  into  the  car,  so  that  he 
cculd  lounge  at  leisure.  When  I  left  him  he  seemed  very 
comfortable  indeed.  I  tried  to  get  him  to  come  and  stay 
with  me  until  he  got  able  to  join  his  regiment,  but  he 
thought  he  would  enjoy  himself  better  to  wait  until  he 
was  able  to  be  about  some.  I  shall  expect  him  in  about 
a  week.  I  should  not  much  wonder  if  you  should  see 
him  in  Wisconsin  in  less  than  a  month,  as  he  will  hardly 
be  fit  for  duty  in  less  than  two  months.  William's  com 
pany  feel  like  orphans,  almost.  I  find  he  was  a  regular 
pet  in  the  whole  regiment.  He  will  receive  the  very  best 
of  attention,  and  I  do  not  think  there  is  any  cause  of 
alarm,  as  the  doctor  says  that  all  he  requires  now  is  good 
nursing." 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  57 

COLONEL  LYON'S  LETTERS. 

"Aug.  12,  1862. — The  reason  I  have  not  written  be 
fore  is  that  I  am  flat  on  my  back.  I  was  attacked  on 
Saturday  night  with  pneumonia,  very  suddenly,  and  al 
though  much  better  have  not  sat  up  any  since. 

"I  got  my  commission  this  morning  as  Colonel  of 
the  13th  Regiment.  As  soon  as  I  am  able  to  close  my  af 
fairs  here  I  shall  go  to  Columbus,  I  am  not  seriously 
sick,  so  do  not  be  frightened.  If  I  can  get  a  short  fur 
lough  I  will  do  so.  Do  not  under  any  circumstances  try 
to  get  here,  for  it  is  utterly  impossible  now  for  a  woman 
to  get  past  Columbus." 

"luka,  Gen.  Hospital,  Friday,  Aug.  28,  1862.— Here 
I  am,  flat  on  my  back  with  remittent  or  intermittent 
fever,  I  do  not  know  which.  I  am  slowly  recovering,  the 
fever  growing  less  and  less  every  day  and  the  doctor  says 
it  will  entirely  disappear  in  a  few  days  more.  I  have 
had  typhoid  fever,  the  doctor  now  tells  me.  I  suffer  no 
pain  now,  but  for  the  first  few  days  I  suffered  a  great 
deal.  I  was  taken  down  Saturday  evening,  the  9th 
inst.,  very  suddenly  and  severely.  Our  regiment  has 
gone  to  Tuscumbia,  thirty  miles  east  of  here.  If  I  should 
get  worse  I  will  try  to  go  to  Columbus  and  send  for  you, 
as  no  woman  is  allowed  to  travel  this  side  of  Columbus 
without  a  special  permit  from  General  Grant. 

"Dr.  Thornhill,  our  surgeon,  is  in  charge  here,  and 
is  very  attentive  to  me.  Dr.  Murta  took  most  excellent 
care  of  me  until  he  had  to  leave  with  the  regiment.  I  am 
taking  large  quantities  of  quinine.  Have  had  no  appe 
tite. 

"I  received  my  commission  about  the  time  I  was 
taken  sick.  An  order  has  been  made  by  General  Rose- 
crans  relieving  me  from  duty  here  and  directing  me  to 
report  to  General  Grant  for  further  orders.  My  inten 
tion  is,  as  soon  as  it  is  proper  for  me  to  leave  here,  to 


58  REMINISCENCES 


go  to  the  regiment  and  close  up  some  company  business 
there;  then  report  to  General  Grant  and  if  possible  get 
permission  to  go  home  to  purchase  horse,  equipments, 
etc.  If  I  succeed  and  get  there  by  the  1st  of  October  I 
shall  do  well." 

"luka  Springs,  Miss,,  General  Hospital,  Sunday, 
Aug.  31,  1862. — I  am  still  here,  you  see,  but  I  assure  you 
that  I  am  very  greatly  improved.  The  fever  has  now 
entirely  disappeared,  I  think,  for  I  am  gaining  strength 
rapidly.  I  can  now  walk  across  the  room  without  help. 
My  appetite  is  fair,  but  not  ravenous.  My  principal  food 
is  mush  and  molasses,  a  little  broiled  beefsteak,  and 
black  tea.  Dr.  Thornhill  promises  to  let  me  go  to  the 
regiment,  the  8th,  as  soon  as  it  will  answer,  which  I 
think  will  be  in  a  few  days,  say  three  or  four,  just  long 
enough  to  recruit  a  little.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Thornhill  have 
been  very  kind  to  me  during  my  illness,  as  was  Dr. 
Murta  while  I  was  with  him.  John  Humphrey  and  Wil 
liams  have  taken  most  excellent  care  of  me  and  have 
spared  no  effort  to  make  me  as  comfortable  as  possible. 
I  owe  my  rapid  recovery  to  the  excellent  nursing  I  have 
had,  in  a  great  measure. 

"Immediately  after  receiving  my  commission  as 
Colonel  of  the  13th,  General  Rosecrans  made  an  order- 
relieving  me  from  duty  in  the  8th  and  ordering  me  to  re 
port  to  General  Grant,  who  is  at  Corinth ;  so  that  is  my 
first  move  when  I  am  able;  and  I  expect  to  be  ordered  to 
join  my  regiment,  with  a  short  leave  of  absence,  which 
can  not  exceed  twenty  days,  to  purchase  outfit,  etc.,  but 
don't  be  too  sanguine,  for  I  may  fail  to  get  leave.  The 
regiment  have  been  paid  lately  to  the  1st  of  July,  but 
not  being  with  them  I  was  not  paid.  I  expect  to  be  paid, 
however,  when  I  report  to  General  Grant,  up  to  the  time 
when  my  pay  as  Colonel  commences,  w^hich  I  suppose  is 
August  5th.  I  believe  the  pay  of  a  Colonel  is  $218  per 
rronth,  at  least  it  was.  Of  course,  my  expenses  will  be 


OF    THE    CIVIL   WAR  59 

much  larger  than  they  have  been.  My  outfit  will  cost  a 
good  deal,  horse,  saddle,  pistol,  sword,  mess  chest,  uni 
form,  etc.,  etc. 

"I  do  not  allow  myself  to  pine  inordinately  for 
home,  but  I  look  upon  my  illness  in  a  distant  land,  away 
from  the  comforts  of  home  and  the  tender  care  of  my 
wife  and  friends,  as  one  of  the  sacrifices  that  I  am  called 
upon  to  make  for  my  country,  and  I  try  to  make  it  cheer 
fully." 

"luka  Springs,  Miss.,  General  Hospital,  Thursday, 
Sept.  4,  1862. — On  Monday  I  learned  that  the  regiment 
had  to  leave  Tuscumbia  the  next  morning,  and  fearing 
that  I  might  not  see  them  again,  without  asking  leave  of 
any  doctor  I  jumped  on  the  train  and  went  there.  Gen 
eral  Rosecrans  was  on  the  train  and  said:  'Why,  Cap 
tain,  where  are  you  going?'  He  thought  it  was  rather 
venturesome  of  me  to  take  the  trip,  but  said  he  thought 
if  I  took  plenty  of  quinine  and  whisky  there  would  be 
no  danger  of  my  being  worse,  and  he  pressed  his  own 
flask  upon  me. 

"Tuscumbia  is  thirty  miles  east,  and  in  Alabama. 
The  boys  seemed  pleased  to  see  me.  I  stayed  with  them 
that  night  and  saw  them  off  in  the  morning.  I  felt  bet 
ter  in  the  morning  for  my  trip.  A  few  hours  after  the 
regiment  left,  a  courier  was  dispatched  recalling  it ;  and 
it  is  now  in  Tuscumbia  without  doubt,  although  they  had 
not  yet  arrived  when  I  left.  I  found  the  boys  all  well 
and  in  fine  spirits.  I  feel  very  well,  the  only  trouble 
being  weakness,  and  I  am  rapidly  gaining  strength.  1 
weigh  138  pounds,  having  lost  but  20  pounds  during  my 
sickness.  I  still  live  on  beefsteak,  tea,  and  mush  and 
molasses.  I  have  no  fever,  sweats,  aches  or  pains  of  any 
kind,  and  the  natural  blackness  is  rapidly  spreading  over 
my  countenance  again." 

"Camp  16th  Wis,  Vol.,  near  Corinth,  Mon.  a.  m., 
Sept,  8,  1862. — I  got  away  from  the  hospital  Saturday 


60  REMINISCENCES 

night  and  came  to  Corinth  yesterday  morning.  Sent 
word  to  Sperry,  who*  came  after  me  with  an  ambulance, 
took  me  first  to  General  Grant's  headquarters,  two  miles 
out  of  town,  and  then  brought  me  here.  I  found  every 
thing  all  right.  Resigned  as  Captain,  which  was  ac 
cepted,  and  I  go  to  headquarters  again  today  to  be  mus 
tered  as  Colonel  of  the  13th.*  This  is  only  for  conven 
ience  and  to  have  my  pay  going  on.  It  looks  squally 
about  my  getting  home,  I  am  improving  too  rapidly  for 
that.  I  leave  tomorrow  morning  for  Columbus.  I  met 
Captain  Smith  at  Corinth  yesterday.  He  says  he  heard 
in  Cairo  that  the  13th  had  gone  up  the  Tennessee  river  to 
Fort  Henry.  This  is  uncertain.  Sperry  is  hearty." 


The  13th  Regiment  had  gone  to  Fort  Henry.  One  of 
the  officers,  Levi  Billings,  came  home  with  Mr.  Lyon,  as 
he  was  then  so  feeble  that  they  would  not  allow  him  to 
come  alone.  He  stayed  in  Racine  for  three  weeks,  then 
went  to  Madison  and  was  mustered  in  as  Colonel  of  the 
13th  Regiment  and  joined  the  regiment  at  Fort  Henry. 


"Fort  Henry,  Tenn.,  Oct.  8,  1862.— I  am  just  ready 
to  commence  my  series  of  semi-weekly  letters.  I  had  a 
long  trip,  or,  rather,  took  a  long  time  to  get  here.  I 
stayed  in  Chicago  Thursday  night,  Friday  night  slept  on 
the  cars,  getting  to  Cairo  early  Saturday  morning.  Sat 
urday  afternoon  went  to  Mound  City,  returning  to  Cairo 
Sunday  morning.  Bought  a  horse  for  $150.  Monday 
afternoon  went  to  Paducah.  Tuesday  afternoon  started 
up  the  Tennessee  on  a  7  by  9  steamboat,  getting  here 

*  Not  being-  able  to  get  a  leave  of  absence  if  I  mustered  as  Col 
onel,  I  postponed  the  muster  and  returned  home  as  a  private  citi 
zen.— W.  P.  L. 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAK  61 

early  Wednesday  morning.  I  met  with  a  most  cordial 
reception  from  everybody.  I  assumed  command  and 
held  a  dress  parade  last  evening.  There  are  but  six  com 
panies  of  the  regiment  here.  Two  are  at  Donelson,  one 
at  Hickman,  and  one  at  Smithland. 

"We  have  a  pleasant  situation,  and  the  Quarter 
master  pitched  in  yesterday  and  made  me  very  comfort 
able.  I  have  a  large  tent,  with  a  good  table,  bedstead 
(all  rough,  of  course)  and  many  other  little  conven 
iences.  I  board  at  present  with  the  Quartermaster  and 
one  of  the  Captains,  and  live  well.  I  am  constantly  get 
ting  better.  My  cough  and  cold  have  entirely  disap 
peared. 

"I  am  trying  to  get  a  good  negro  and  wife  and  go 
to  housekeeping.  Would  you  like  to  call  on  us?  It 
looks  as  if  we  might  remain  here  for  some  time.  There 
is  no  settlement  here,  nothing  but  troops,  and  not  many 
of  them.  The  main  trouble  is  that  the  river  is  so  low. 
But  few  boats  come  here  from  the  outside  world  more 
than  once  or  twice  a  week.  This  will  account  for  any 
delay  in  the  receipt  of  letters  from  me. 

"Write  me  all  you  know  about  the  part  the  8th  took 
in  the  late  fight  at  Corinth,  also  the  16th.  I  am  very 
anxious,  to  hear  about  it.  I  hope  the  8th  was  not  in,  but 
suppose  it  was.  The  16th  must  have  been  engaged. 
There  is  another  battle  I  have  lost  by  reason  of  my  pro 
motion. 

"After  the  river  rises,  so  that  boats  run  more  freely 
on  it,  if  it  still  looks  like  remaining  here  some  time,  I 
think  you  must  try  to  come  and  see  me,  but  I  do  not  dare 
to  have  you  bring  the  childdren.  The  river  will  probably 
rise  in  November." 

"October  15, 1862. — The  river  is  still  low  and  nearly 
isolates  us  from  civilization.  I  am  slowly  gaining 
strength.  I  ride  some,  but  find  it  rather  fatiguing.  The 


62  REMINISCENCES 

position  of  Colonel  of  a  regiment  is  no  sinecure,  I  assure 
you.  I  think  that  I  shall  earn  my  wages. 

"I  see  that  those  terrible  battles  of  Corinth  have 
struck  close  home.  You  have,  of  course,  heard  that 
Sperry  Northrup  was  killed.  A  letter  from  Andrews,  the 
sutler,  informs  me  that  he  was  shot  through  the  heart 
while  skirmishing  on  Saturday  morning,  the  4th  inst. 
Poor  Katie  and  the  children !  My  heart  bleeds  for  them. 

"I  see,  too,  that  the  8th  has  lost  heavily,  but  am 
without  particulars,  except  that  Lieut.  Fellows  of  Com 
pany  K  is  wounded,  also  two  or  three  of  the  boys.  There 
are  doubtless  many  more  of  them  hurt,  but  I  have  not 
seen  the  full  list. 

"Although  by  coming  to  this  regiment  I  have 
escaped  a  terrible  peril,  perhaps  death,  yet  I  almost  re 
gret  that  I  was  not  with  the  brave  boys  that  I  led  for  a 
year,  in  the  hours  of  their  recent  terrible  peril.  But 
God  governs,  and  we  may  safely  trust  our  destinies  to 
Him. 

"There  is  no  prospect  of  any  fighting  in  this  vicinity 
at  present.  There  are  a  few  ragged  guerilla  bands  thirty 
or  forty  miles  from  here,  but  they  run  whenever  our  cav 
alry  comes  near  them.  It  begins  to  look  as  though  we 
should  winter  here.  We  are  moving  the  camp  a  short 
distance  to  better  ground,  and  I  am  making  all  my  ar 
rangements  with  reference  to  your  coming.  I  have  taken 
a  little  stock  in  the  contraband  line,  having  a  man  and 
his  wife  on  trial.  I  think  they  will  suit  me.  Their  names 
are  'Jerry'  and  'Minerva/  aged  32  and  27,  respectively — 
no  children.  The  wench  is  supposed  to  be  the  most  ill- 
looking  one  in  the  camp.  She  is  washing  for  me  today. 

"I  think  that  I  am  rapidly  gaining  the  confidence 
and  respect  of  the  officers  and  men  of  the  regiment.  I 
have  really  a  very  fine  regiment,  indeed.  Almost  the  en 
tire  membership  was  recruited  from  residents  of  Rock 
county  and  closely  contiguous  territory,  and  embraces 


OP    THE    CIVIL    WAR  63 

the  best  material  in  that  favored  portion  of  our  state.  A 
large  number  are  either  graduates  from  or  students  in 
Milton  College.  Company  K,  commanded  by  Captain 
Norcross,  a  graduate  of  the  State  University,  is  cdm- 
posed  largely  of  members  of  this  class,  I  feel  honored  to 
be  assigned  to  the  command  of  such  men.  As  soon  as  I 
have  strength  I  shall  commence  drilling  it  thoroughly, 
thus  fitting  it  to  fight  if  we  are  sent  into  the  field.  I 
shall  make  no  effort  to  get  into  the  field.  That  is  a  re 
sponsibility  which  I  dare  not  assume." 

"Fort  Henry,  Tenn.,  Oct.  19,  1862.— We  moved  our 
camp  yesterday  upon  better  ground,  one-fourth  of  a  mile 
distant,  all  except  the  quarters  of  the  field  and  staff  of 
ficers,  to  be  removed  tomorrow;  so,  being  isolated  from 
the  regiment,  I  am  having  a  very  quiet  Sunday,  indeed. 

"We  are  having  beautiful  Indian  summer  weather, 
with  cool  nights.  The  only  drawback  is  the  heavy  fogs 
that  gather  along  the  river  every  morning,  producing 
agues  and  intermittents  among  the  men.  Ten  per  cent  of 
our  men  are  reported  sick,  that  is  60  out  of  600,  the  num 
ber  we  have  here.  This  will  subside  in  a  month  or  so,  and 
then  I  think  you  must  come  here,  provided  things  look 
as  though  we  would  remain  for  some  time  longer. 

"I  am  feeling  perfectly  well,  and  perform  all  my 
duties  without  difficulty,  but  find  that  I  am  far  from 
having  my  old  strength.  I  take  the  best  possible  care  of 
myself,  keeping  out  of  the  hot  sun  and  out  of  the  fogs 
as  much  as  possible.  You  know  it  is  the  easiest  thing  in 
the  world  for  me  to  keep  out  of  a  morning  fog. 

"I  have  not  given  you  any  particulars  of  this  com 
mand,  and  will  do  so  now.  This  military  district  em 
braces  Forts  Henry,  Heiman,  and  Donelson.  By  look 
ing  on  the  map  you  will  see  that  Kentucky  extends  a  few 
miles  farther  south  on  the  west  side  of  the  Tennessee 
river  than  it  does  on  the  east  side.  Fort  Heiman  is  in 
Kentucky,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  close  to  the 


64  REMINISCENCES 

state  line  of  Tennessee.  Fort  Henry  is  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  river,  about  one-half  mile  below,  or  north,  of  a 
point  opposite  Fort  Heiman.  Fort  Donelson  is  fifteen 
miles  southeast  of  us,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Cumber 
land.  These  places  are  called  forts,  but  the  guns  are  all 
taken  away  but  one  or  two,  and  they  amount  to  nothing 
as  fortifications.  The  district  is  commanded  by  Colonel 
Lowe,  of  the  5th  Iowa  Cavalry,  who  is  said  to  be  a  care 
ful,  excellent  officer.  He  has  been  absent  ever  since  I 
came  here,  and  so  I  have  not  seen  him. 

"The  forces  at  the  three  points  are  the  83d  Illinois, 
13th  Wisconsin,  four  companies  of  the  71st  Ohio,  the  5th 
Regiment  of  Iowa  Cavalry,  and  four  pieces  of  field  artil 
lery  ;  or,  more  correctly  speaking,  two  sections,  eight 
companies  of  the  83d  and  two  of  the  cavalry  and  one  sec 
tion  of  artillery  are  at  Donelson,  and  the  balance  of  the 
force  is  here  and  at  Heiman.  In  the  absence  of  Colonel 
Lowe  the  district  is  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Harding  of  the  83d,  a  rich  old  fellow  from  Illinois,  with 
no  military  training  whatever.  He  is  as  brave  as  Julius 
Caesar  and  is  a  grand  man,  and  I  am  very  fond  of  him. 
Last  night  I  got  a  telegram  from  him  ordering  me  to 
move  this  morning  with  all  of  my  available  force  to 
Canton,  thirty  miles  distant,  thence  to  La  Fayette, 
thirty  miles  farther,  where  we  would  be  thirty-five  miles 
from  here.  The  commanding  officer  of  the  cavalry  had 
received  the  same  orders.  The  object  of  the  expedition 
was  no  doubt  to  chase  a  band  of  thieving  guerillas  who 
infest  the  region  of  La  Fayette,  but  who  mounted  on 
fleet  horses  always  run  at  our  approach.  We  knew  that 
it  was  useless  to  go  after  them  and  that  Colonel  Lowe 
if  here  would  disapprove  of  the  expedition;  so  we  held 
a  council  of  officers  to  devise  the  best  way  'how  not  to  do 
it.'  The  result  was  that  we  sent  a  couple  of  smooth 
tongued  officers  to  Donelson  to  coax  the  old  Colonel  off 
the  notion.  They  succeeded,  and  at  two  o'clock  this 


OF    THE    CIVIL   WAR  65 

morning  the  order  to  march  was  countermanded  by  tele 
graph.    The  only  loss  was  part  of  a  night's  sleep. 

"We  are  not  in  decently  respectable  peril  here,  and 
yet  these  posts  must  be  held  by  somebody.  Our  great 
est  privation  is  want  of  mails.  I  have  not  heard  a  word 
from  home  since  I  left.  I  expect  a  mail  tomorrow  morn 
ing.  You  did  right  to  have  father  go  to  Mauston  to  see 
and  comfort  poor  suffering  Katie  and  her  family. 

"Since  commencing  this,  four  companies  of  my  regi 
ment  have  beeen  ordered  on  a  six-days'  expedition  in  the 
country." 

"Fort  Henry,  Tenn.,  Wed.  a.  m.,  Oct.  22,  1862.— 
There  is  a  boat  going  down  and  I  think  I  will  write  a 
few  lines  to  let  you  know  that  I  am  well.  We  are  having 
beautiful  weather  now,  Indian  summer  days  and  cool 
nights.  This  morning  we  had  quite  a  frost  and  but  little 
fog.  When  these  fogs  disappear  and  the  ague  subsides 
it  will  be  safe  for  you  to  come.  I  think  that  we  shall  re 
main  here  the  most  of  the  winter." 

"Fort  Henry,  Tenn.,  Monday,  October  27. — I  do 
not  dare  to  have  you  come  until  a  little  later.  In  the 
meantime  I  shall  go  on  and  get  ready  for  you.  If  I  can 
get  lumber  I  shall  build  a  little  shanty.  My  tent  has  a 
good  floor  in  it  and  so  it  is  comfortable  except  in  a  cold 
wind.  It  is  about  the  size  of  our  parlor.  We  could  get 
along  very  well  in  it,  but  perhaps  better  in  a  good  board 
shanty.  We  had  a  snow  storm  Saturday.  All  went  off 
the  next  day.  The  box  came  all  right.  The  pickles  and 
peaches  I  gave  to  the  sick  boys  in  the  hospital.  I  am 
saving  the  cake  till  you  come. 

"I  had  a  letter  from  Augie  Weissart,  of  Company 
K,  from  Corinth.  He  gives  all  the  casualties  of  the 
battle." 

"Fort  Henry,  Tenn,  2  o'clock  Thursday  a.  in.,  Oct. 
30,  1862. — The  celebrated  guerilla  chief,  Morgan,  is  at 
Hopkinsville,  Ky.,  about  fifty  miles  north-east  of  us, 


66  REMINISCENCES 

with  a  force  variously  estimated  at  from  1,500  to  2,500. 
We  expect  to  march  in  the  morning  in  connection  with 
forces  from  Fort  Donelson  and  Paducah,  under  com 
mand  of  General  Eansom,  now  in  Paducah,  to  fight  him, 
unless  he  runs  away. 

"Colonel  Lowe,  the  permanent  commander  here, 
who  has  been  absent  ever  since  I  came,  is  between  here 
and  Paducah,  and  will  be  here  tomorrow  morning,  or 
rather  this  morning,  early;  which  will  relieve  me  from 
the  responsibility  of  commanding  the  expedition.  I 
have,  however,  to  make  all  the  preliminary  arrange 
ments,  and  have  been  up  all  night  issuing  orders,  tele 
graphing  to  Fort  Donelson,  Paducah  and  Columbus,  and 
getting  ready  generally.  The  regiment  knows  nothing  of 
the  expedition  yet,  as  I  have  not  called  them  out.  I  am 
feeling  first  rate  and  in  most  excellent  spirits.  My  only 
trouble  is  that  my  legs  are  rather  weak  and  I  can  not 
ride  much  on  horseback.  I  shall  Avalk  or  ride  in  an 
ambulance  mostly,  and  have  no  doubt  but  I  shall  stand 
the  trip  finely.  We  shall  probably  be  gone  a  week.  If 
we  can  clean  out  Morgan  we  break  up  guerilla  opera 
tions  in  these  parts  and  thus  do  the  country  and  our 
sacred  cause  good  service.  It  is  time  I  called  up  my 
men,  and  must  therefore  close.  Be  a  heroine,  be  calm, 
although  danger  may  surround  me,  and  trust  in  the  kind 
Father  of  us  all  for  safety  and  protection." 

"Thursday  evening. — A  variety  of  circumstances 
prevented  us  from  getting  off  this  morning,  one  of 
which  was  the  failure  of  Colonel  Lowe  to  return  this 
morning.  We  have  had  an  anxious  day,  fearing  the 
boat  was  captured  by  the  guerillas.  We  go  in  the  morn 
ing  down  the  Tennessee  forty  miles,  and  then  across  to 
the  Cumberland,  by  land,  of  course,  to  Eddyville,  thence 
to  Hopkinsville.  We  meet  General  Ransom  and  the 
forces  from  below  where  we  leave  the  river.  The  men 
are  in  high  spirits,  and  so  am  I,  in  view  of  our  expedi- 


OP   THE   CIVIL   WAK  67 

tion.  We  want  to  get  these  guerillas  scattered  before 
we  feel  quite  willing  to  have  our  wives  come  to  us.  We 
hear  this  morning  that  Morgan  has  skedaddled.  I  cele 
brated  my  birthday  by  drilling  my  regiment  in  battalion 
drill  for  the  first  time." 

"La  Fayette,  Ky.,  Tuesday,  Nov.  4,  1862.— We  are 
at  La  Fayette,  Ky.,  18  miles  east  of  Fort  Donelson,  near 
the  line  of  Tennessee.  We  have  marched  between  forty 
and  fifty  miles.  I  feel  first  rate.  Rode  over  yesterday 
and  shall  go  on  this  morning.  Do  not  think  we  shall  get 
a  fight,  but  we  make  the  guerillas  skedaddle,  I  assure 
you.  Stop  a  week  or  more  before  we  get  back  from 
camp.  Weather  beautiful. 

"We  are  holding  an  election  this  morning.  Tell 
Mr.  Parker  that  I  have  cast  a  vote  for  him.  I  send  this 
by  a  train  going  back  to  Donelson.  I  ride  on  horseback, 
in  the  ambulance,  and  go  on  foot,  about  equal  doses.  I 
get  along  finely  and  improve  rapidly. " 

"Fort  Henry,  Tenn.,  Wed.  p.  m",  Nov.  12,  1862.— We 
have  but  just  arrived  from  our  expedition.  The  mail  is 
just  going  out  and  I  have  but  time  to  say  that  I  am  well, 
having  improved  in  strength  rapidly  since  I  have  been 
gone.  I  got  so  I  could  ride  on  horseback  all  day.  Mor 
gan  gave  us  the  slip,  but  we  ran  upon  Woodward,  who 
has  a  band  out  there.  There  were  15  of  their  men  killed. 
Our  loss,  two  killed  and  a  few  slightly  wounded.  The 
killed  were  cavalry;  the  wounded,  our  men.  The  13th 
are  good  fighters. 

"We  marched  180  miles,  went  to  Canton,  La  Fay 
ette,  Hopkinsville,  Garretsburg  (where  the  fight  oc 
curred),  and  Fort  Donelson." 

"Fort  Henry,  Tenn.,  Sunday,  Nov.  16,  1862.— My 
letters  recently  have  been  few  and  hurried.  I  am  now 
able  to  give  you  a  more  full  account  of  our  expedition.  I 
have  a  feeling  of  quiet  in  my  comfortable  tent,  with  the 
rain  falling  outside.  My  round  of  duty  is  ceaseless,  yet 


68  REMINISCENCES 

ii  is  no  burden  to  me,  for  I  have  the  cordial  co-opera 
tion  of  officers  and  men,  all  of  whom  seem  to  have  a  sin 
cere  respect  for  me.  In  addition  to  my  regimental 
duties,  I  am  commander  of  this  post,  which  adds  some 
what  to  my  labors.  I  like  Colonel  Lowe,  the  commander 
of  this  district,  well,  and  we  get  along  together  first 
rate.  He  compliments  me  very  highly  upon  the  im 
proved  condition  of  this  regiment  since  I  assumed  the 
command  of  it.  He  lives  on  the  steamer  Ewing,  spend 
ing  most  of  his  time  at  Fort  Heiman  over  the  river  op 
posite.  Now  for  our  march. 

"We  went  down  the  river  forty  miles  to  Chaudet's 
Landing,  October  31.  Thence  we  marched  southeast  to 
Canton  on  the  Cumberland  river,  in  Trigg  county,  Ken 
tucky;  thence  southeast  to  La  Fayette;  thence  north 
east  to  Hopkinsville,  Christian  county,  Kentucky; 
thence  south  to  Garretsburg,  near  the  line  of  Tennes 
see,  and  all  about  that  place.  Here  we  overtook  Wood 
ward's  gang,  fought,  and  drove  them;  were  only  under 
fire  a  short  time.  We  then  went  back  to  Hopkinsville, 
getting  there  Friday  afternoon,  the  Tth;  stayed  there 
until  Sunday  'afternoon ;  came  back  here  by  La  Fayette 
and  Fort  Donelson. 

"The  country  about  Hopkinsville  is  very  fine,  and 
Hopkinsville  is  a  beautiful  place  and  very  healthy.  It 
is  the  most  loyal  town  we  have  found,  having  furnished 
a  large  number  of  troops  for  the  Union  army.  It  is  the 
home  of  General  Jackson,  who  was  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Perry ville.  We,  the  officers,  enjoyed  largely  the  hos 
pitality  of  the  citizens  and  found  much  refinement 
amongst  them.  We  were  the  heroes  of  the  battle  of  Gar 
retsburg,  you  know,  and  that  is  a  great  event  with  these 
people!  I  attended  church  in  Hopkinsville  last  Sunday 
morning  and  heard  a  fine  discourse  from  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Kevins,  a  Presbyterian,  and  a  sterling  Union  man.  The 
people  in  that  region  have  suffered  terribly  from  the 


OF   THE    CIVIL    WAK  69 

raids  of  guerilla  parties ;  and  after  witnessing  the  effects 
of  this  war  there,  and,  indeed,  everywhere  in  the  South, 
I  am  more  and  more  thankful  that  you  are  out  of  the 
range  of  these  sufferings  and  that  I  can  bear  the  whole 
peril  for  all  of  us. 

"I  expect  that  Colonel  Lowe  will  start  another  ex 
pedition  soon  after  a  guerilla  gang  under  Napier,  some 
fifty  miles  south  of  us;  and  we  shall  doubtless  form  a 
part  of  it.  When  I  get  back  from  that  trip  I  think  I  can 
give  you  marching  orders  to  come  here,  for  it  really  looks 
as  though  we  should  winter  here. 

"Lieut.-Col.  Chapman  and  Captain  Woodman  of 
the  Thirteenth  started  North  yesterday,  and  both  of 
them  partly  promised  to  visit  you  before  they  return. 
They  live  in  Green  county.  The  captain  is  a  young 
married  man  and  a  finished  gentleman.  He  and  Colonel 
Chapman  are  among  my  very  best  friends,  I  am  sure 
you  will  enjoy  a  visit  from  them.  Several  officers  will 
send  for  their  wives,  I  think,  after  we  return  from  the 
proposed  expedition;  among  them  Captain  Ruger,  of 
Janesville.  We  will  arrange  to  have  you  come  with 
them." 

"Tuesday,  Nov.  18,  1862.— I  will  scratch  off  a  few 
lines,  especially  as  it  is  our  wedding  anniversary.  I 
presume  you  have  celebrated  it  in  due  form  by  a  gath 
ering  of  the  family,  and  I  know  your  heart  fondly  whis 
pers,  'I  wish  he  were  here.'  I  have  commemorated  the 
day  by  thinking  over,  as  I  often  do,  our  married  life  and 
the  almost  unalloyed  happiness  we  have  enjoyed,  and  in 
anticipating  the  future  and  still  greater  happiness  which 
I  believe  is  in  store  for  us." 

"Fort  Henry,  November  20,  1862.— Four  of  our 
companies  go  up  the  river  tomorroAv  on  an  expedition.  I 
do  not  go.  Do  not  be  frightened  about  guerillas.  They 


70  REMINISCENCES 


are  great  cowards  and  will  not  fight  if  they  can  help  it. 
They  are  mere  thieves,  and  a  thief  is  always  a  coward,  I 
do  not  at  all  fear  being  killed.  Something  constantly  as 
sures  me  that  I  am  coming  home  to  you  safely.  Now, 
don't  get  up  a  presentiment  the  other  way." 

"Fort  Henry,  Nov.  26,  1862.— We  have  had  no  mails 
for  several  days.  The  last  mail  brought  one  letter  from 
you.  It  bears  date  of  August  16th,  redirected  and  for 
warded  by  Bartlett  from  Corinth.  The  uncertainty  of 
mails  is  very  annoying. 

"I  write  today,  as  I  am  detailed  to  act  as  President 
of  a  general  Court-Martial  which  convenes  here  tomor 
row,  and  I  shall  probably  not  have  any  leisure  again  for 
a  few  days.  Our  Major,  Bigney,  has  just  joined  us,  and 
relieves  me  from  some  duty.  He  is  very  much  of  a  gen 
tleman,  besides  being  a  good  officer. 

"I  showed  my  black  folks  all  of  your  pictures  today. 
Jerry  was  much  taken  with  Willie,  saying:  'He  will 
make  a  bully  man  if  nothing  happens.'  They  are  faith 
ful,  excellent  people,  but  they  put  on  some  airs  because 
they  wait  on  the  Colonel.  Minerva  is  now  cooking  for 
some  officers  who  live  with  the  Lieutenant-Colonel  when 
he  is  here.  She  is  in  a  great  hurry  for  you  to  come,  so 
that  she  can  get  out  of  that  arrangement  and  wait  on 
you.  I  am  going  to  build  a  log  house  in  the  rear  of  my 
tent  for  them  to  live  and  cook  in. 

"We  have  battalion  drill  every  afternoon,  but  to 
morrow  being  Thanksgiving  Day  at  home  I  give  the  boys 
a  holiday.  I  should  be  happy  to  eat  fried  oysters  with 
you  on  the  occasion,  but  I  suppose  I  shall  be  obliged  to 
go  on  with  the  Court- Martial." 

"Fort  Henry,  Sunday  evening,  Nov.  30,  1862. — The 
last  day  of  each  month  is  inspection  day  in  the  army,  so 
I  have  been  engaged  all  day  in  making  a  minute  and 
thorough  inspection  of  my  command — not  only  of  the 
dress,  arms,  accoutrements  and  appearance  of  the  men, 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAK  71 

but  of  their  tents,  kitchens,  cook-houses,  shanties,  cook 
ing  utensils,  dishes,  etc.  Fancy  me  examining  tin 
plates,  dish  kettles,  coffee  pots,  knives,  forks,  spoons,  tin 
cups,  and  the  like ;  threatening  to  send  dirty  cooks  to  the 
guard  house,  praising  the  clean  ones,  ordering  altera 
tions,  suggesting  improvements,  etc. ;  in  which  duty  I 
was  accompanied  and  assisted  by  the  Major,  Adjutant 
and  two  of  the  surgeons ;  and  you  will  have  a  very  good 
idea  of  inspection  day.  I  give  special  and  constant  at 
tention  to  the  cleanliness  of  the  camp,  and  it  is  now  one 
of  the  cleanest  I  ever  saw  and  is  constantly  improving, 
for  the  officers  and  men  enter  most  cordially  into  the 
spirit  of  the  thing. 

"I  am  still  on  a  general  Court- Martial.  It  is  a  great 
bore,  too,  much  like  practicing  law.  The  day  has  been 
warm  and  cloudy.  This  evening  it  rains  copiously,  but 
my  tent  is  warm  and  dry  and  as  cozy  as  you  could  wish 
were  you  here  to  enjoy  it  with  me,  as  I  trust  you  will  be 
before  many  weeks  elapse.  We  shall  live  in  the  most  ap 
proved  style.  Colonel  Lowe  still  intends  an  expedition 
after  Napier." 

"Fort  Henry,  Dec.  4,  1862. — We  are  going  after 
Napier  and  his  band  tomorrow,  and  you  may  not  hear 
from  me  for  ten  or  twelve  days.  The  teams  and  the  cav 
alry  go  tomorrow  morning  by  land,  and  we  go  Saturday 
morning  up  the  river  forty  miles  by  water.  The  rebels 
are  supposed  to  be  at  WTaverly,  ten  or  twelve  miles  from 
where  we  propose  to  land,  east  of  the  river.  Our  trans 
portation,  that  is,  teams,  provisions,  etc.,  go  up  on  the 
west  side  for  greater  safety.  We  have  a  four-gun  gun 
boat  to  convoy  us  up  the  river.  I  don't  know  how  many 
rebels  there  are  up  there,  but  probably  not  enough  to 
induce  them  to  fight  us.  We  shall  probably  chase  them 
about  the  country  for  a  week  or  two  and  then  come  back. 
If  we  can  clean  out  that  force  there  is  nothing  left  in  our 
beat  for  us  to  fight. 


72  REMINISCENCES 

"I  will  answer  your  questions.  We  are  in  General 
Grant's  command,  which  is  called  the  Department  of 
West  Tennessee." 

"Fort  Henry,  Dec.  5,  1862. — We  had  a  lovely  snow 
storm  last  night,  three  inches  deep,  but  the  weather  is 
mild.  Our  expedition  is  postponed  in  consequence  until 
further  orders.  I  should  not  wonder  if  it  turned  out  one 
'grand  fizzle/  after  all." 

"Dec.  11,  1862.— There  is  a  boat  between  Paducah 
and  here  that  has  Captain  Woodman  on  board,  and  it  is 
supposed  that  the  wives  of  Captain  Ruger  and  Lieuten 
ant  Bowerman  are  also  passengers.  Mrs.  Chapman,  wife 
of  the  Lieut.-CoL,  is  here.  I  dined  with  them  on  Tuesday 
on  wild  turkey. 

"I  have  kept  you  on  the  rack  some  time  now  con 
cerning  our  expedition.  Well,  you  see,  it  has  not  come 
off,  and  I  will  tell  you  why.  Just  as  we  were  ready  to 
start,  we  learned  that  Napier  was  strongly  reinforced  by 
the  troops  of  Woodward  and  Forrest,  with  considerable 
artillery,  and  that  Morgan  was  some  fifteen  miles  north 
east  of  Clarksville,  and  about  forty  miles  from  Fort 
Donelson,  waiting  for  us  to  go  up  the  river  in  order  to 
pounce  upon  Fort  Donelson  and  take  it.  His  force  was 
reported  at  3,000  men,  with  four  pieces  of  artillery.  So, 
instead  of  starting  for  Waverly,  we  held  ourselves  in 
readiness  to  march  to  Donelson  at  short  notice.  Then, 
no  longer  ago  than  yesterday,  General  Rosecrans  tele 
graphed  us  that  Forrest  was  advancing  on  Fort  Henry 
(from  Waverly,  I  suppose),  and  would  certainly  attack 
us.  We  rather  liked  this,  for  we  have  here  two  gunboats, 
one  carrying  four  and  the  other  two  heavy  guns,  24- 
pounders,  and  we  had  also  one  12-pounder,  and  five 
rifled,  six-pound  guns  on  shore;  and  we  would  fight  and 
whip  5,000  of  these  fellows  should  they  attack  us  here 
without  siege  guns. 

"Well,  today  one  of  our  scouts  came  in  from  Wav- 


OF    THE    CIVIL   WAR  73 

erly,  and  he  reports  only  500  men  there  under  Napier, 
with  no  cannon  except  two  12-pounders,  which  they  cap- 
turued  from  one  of  our  boats  that  ran  aground  up  the 
Tennessee  river  last  summer.  He  says  that  neither  For 
rest  nor  Woodward  is  there  at  all,  and  discredits  the 
story  that  Morgan  is  anywhere  in  this  section  of  country. 
As  soon  as  Colonel  Lowe  can  be  satisfied  upon  the  latter 
point,  wre  shall  move  on  Waverly. 

"Of  course,  we  shall  get  no  fighting,  but  we  go  to 
administer  a  little  justice  to  a  few  of  the  rebel  ringlead 
ers  in  that  region,  and  they  need  it  badly.  Were  I  in 
command  I  think  I  should  make  the  expedition  forth 
with  ;  but  Colonel  Lowe  is  a  very  prudent,  cautious  of 
ficer — too  cautious,  I  sometimes  think — and  will  not 
move  until  he  is  assured  of  success.  In  the  meantime 
our  preparation  for  winter  progresses  finely. 

"In  addition  to  our  tents,  we  have  about  sixty  log 
houses,  which  the  boys  have  built,  and  some  of  them  are 
really  nice  and  cozy.  Many  of  the  officers  have  them,  but 
J  prefer  a  tent." 


FROM    MRS.    LYON'S   DIARY. 

Paducah,  Ky.,  Dec.  12,  1862.— I  met  Captain  Wood 
man,  with  Mrs.  Ruger  and  Mrs.  Bowerman,  as  I  was 
looking  for  an  omnibus  in  Chicago.  Both  the  ladies  are 
young  brides,  and  quite  pleasant.  We  all  went  up  yes 
terday  to  examine  the  fort.  It  is  a  very  strong  fortifica 
tion.  It  commands  the  Ohio,  Cumberland  and  Tennes 
see  rivers.  They  fired  a  blank  cartridge  in  honor  of  our 
visit.  It  was  a  thirty-four  pounder.  I  could  scarcely 
hear  anything  for  some  time  after. 

There  is  a  rumor  here  that  the  rebels  (6,000)  are 
near  Fort  Donelson  and  preparing  to  attack -the  fort, 
and  that  thev  have  sent  to  Fort  Henrv  for  reinforce- 


REMINISCENCES 


ments.  There  are  two  ladies  here  waiting  to  go  to  Port 
Donelson.  The  last  boat  load  that  went  up  took  along 
firearms  to  defend  themselves,  as  the  boat  might  be  fired 
into  or  captured.  It  is  not  a  pleasant  idea.  We  saw 
here  for  the  first  time  well-dressed  Southern  ladies  chew 
ing  tobacco  and  spitting  behind  the  backlog. 

Dec.  14,  1862. — We  took  the  boat  in  the  afternoon, 
but  did  not  come  very  fast  from  Paducah,  as  we  had  to 
tow  a  barge  of  coal.  It  made  the  boat  so  heavy  we  came 
very  slowly.  This  coal  is  for  the  expedition  William 
wrote  about  that  he  was  going  with.  We  had  to  tie  up  to 
a  tree  and  stay  all  night,  20  miles  from  Paducah. 

Fort  Henry,  Dec.  16,  1862,  eight  o'clock.— Captain 
Ruger  and  Lieut,  Bowerman  came*  to  the  boat  to  meet 
their  wives,  but  William  had  not  the  least  intimation  of 
my  coming  and  stayed  snugly  in  his  tent  until  we  were 
nearly  here,  when  Captain  Hewitt  ran  in  and  asked  him 
if  he  knew  that  his  wife  had  come  on  the  boat.  William 
said:  "No-,  and  if  you  have  deceived  me  you  shall  be 
court-martialed."  It  was  a  complete  surprise.  He 
could  not  get  over  it  all  the  evening.  After  we  had  gone 
to  bed,  a  party  came  and  serenaded  us.  The  music  was 
very  sweet.  They  had  a  flute,  violin  and  guitar.  After 
serenading  us,  they  went  to  Colonel  Chapman's  and  to 
Captain  Ruger's  and  Bowerman's.  They  have  a  double 
log-house  for  both  families.  I  can't  say  that  I  like  sleep 
ing  out  of  doors.  My  first  experience  was  rather  un 
pleasant.  The  tent  post  was  one  of  the  bed  posts.  The 
wind  blew  quite  hard  that  night,  and  we  rocked  about 
as  you  would  in  a  boat  in  a  gale,  but  we  have  remedied 
that.  It  seems  so  noisy,  living  in  a  tent,  and  so  exposed 
-only  a  thin  cloth  between  you  and  the  outside  world. 
I  think  I  should  prefer  a  log  cabin ;  but  William  enjoys 
this  so  much,  he  wonders  that  I  should  not.  We  have  a 
little  stove  and  are  quite  comfortable. 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  75 

Dec.  25,  1862. — The  ladies  all  joined  and  got  up  a 
Christmas  dinner  for  the  officers. 

Dec.  28. — The  regiment  returned  from  their  recent 
expedition,  all  safe,  not  having  found  the  enemy  at  all. 
We  made  up  our  minds  that  we  were  now  going  to  have  a 
good  visit,  but  a  dispatch  arrived  from  Colonel  Lowe 
with  orders  for  the  Thirteenth  to  go  to  Paris,  as  there  is 
a  strong  force  of  rebels  there,  to  prevent  the  Unionists 
from  voting  for  their  Congressional  member.  They  are 
to  have  their  election  today.  I  fear  our  men  will  not  get 
off  so  easily  again.  The  men  are  completely  tired  out 
from  their  march,  being  in  camp  only  one  night.  They 
started  from  here  about  five  o'clock  p.  m.,  and  will  have 
to  march  all  night  to  get  there.  This  expedition  is  en 
tirely  under  William's  supervision.  His  orders  were  to 
disembark  at  Paris  Landing,  and  after  that  to  do  what 
seemed  proper  to  him.  He  has  two  companies  of  cavalry 
with  him.  When  he  told  me  yesterday  that  they  were 
going,  I  told  him)  that  I  intended  to  go  home  on  the  gun 
boat,  but  he  begged  so  hard  for  me  to  stay  that  I  told 
him  I  would  stay  unless  I  heard  bad  news  from  home. 
He  feels  as  badly  as  I  do  that  he  can  not  be  with  me,  and 
says  that  they  will  surely  be  back  in  a  few  days. 

The  weather  is  perfectly  beautiful.  It  is  so  warm 
that  I  do  not  pretend  to  put  anything  around  me  when 
I  go  out.  The  birds  are  singing  as  they  do  with  us  in 
the  spring.  The  Eighty-Third  Illinois  Regiment  from 
Fort  Donelson  has  just  passed,  to  join  the  Thirteenth  in 
the  expedition. 


1863. 

Fort  Henry,  Tenn.,  Jan.  5,  1863.— The  last  time  I 
wrote,  William  was  off  on  the  second  expedition.  They 
returned  on  Wednesday,  dissatisfied  at  not  being  al- 


76  REMINISCENCES 

lowed  to  go  into  Paris.  They  were  ordered  to  stay  eight 
miles  this  side,  as  the  rumors  were  that  Forrest  had  too 
many  men  for  our  forces  to  fight.  Our  pickets  were 
driven  in,  but  they  captured  four  horses  and  arms. 

We  have  just  heard  the  good  that  the  expedition  did. 
The  rebels  did  not  know  how  much  force  we  had,  but 
heard  and  imagined  that  there  were  four  times  as  many 
as  there  were.  So  they  turned  and  went  the  other  way 
and  so  came  in  contact  with  General  Dodge  and  his 
army,  and  had  a  battle  and  were  badly  beaten. 

Forrest  and  Napier  had  joined  forces.  Napier  was 
killed  and  we  have  taken  900  prisoners,  so  report  says. 
I  expect  the  Thirteenth  will  be  ordered  away  from  here 
before  long,  as  General  Eansom  is  determined  to  have 
them. 

Fort  Henry,  Tenn.,  Jan.  14,  1863.— A  party  of 
twenty  of  us  went  to  Fort  Donelson,  returning  the  same 
day.  While  going  there  the  carriage  in  which  I  rode 
broke  down,  upset  and  rolled  us  all  out  in  the  road  in 
fine  confusion.  Except  a  few  slight  bruises  nobody  was 
injured.  Mrs.  Stanton  fainted  away  and  we  had  to  take 
her  into  a  house.  Here  we  saw  for  the  first  time  the 
filthy  habit  of  dipping.  They  take  a  small  stick  and 
chew  the  end  of  it  into  a  brush,  then  stick  it  into  Scotch 
snuff  and  rub  it  all  around  their  teeth. 

Jan.  18,  1862.— It  rained  all  day  the  14th  and  to  the 
16th,  when  it  turned  to  snow.  The  snow  is  eighteen 
inches  deep,  but  I  do  not  think  it  will  last.  It  is  not 
cold.  The  river  is  high  and  rising  fast.  Our  camp  is  on 
an  elevation  above  high- water  mark. 

Fort  Henry,  January  21,  1863. — Trying  to  clear  off. 
Company  H,  Captain  Noyes,  has  gone  up  the  river  on  a 
scout.  The  Tennessee  has  risen  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet 
in  two  days,  and  if  this  snow  should  go  off  with  rain  it 
would  rise  considerably  more.  We  have  been  perfectly 
comfortable  in  our  tent.  A  gunboat  and  three  trans- 


OF    THE    CIVIL   WAR  77 


ports  loaded  with  hospital  supplies  were  captured  on 
the  Cumberland  river  the  same  night  we  were  in  Don- 
elson. 

William  sent  to  Paducah  for  two  chairs  for  us.  We 
had  to  sit  on  cracker  boxes  before.  One  of  the  soldiers 
says  that  he  will  put  some  rockers  on  mine. 

Jan.  27,  1863. — We  had  a  pleasure  excursion  down 
the  river  on  the  Nevada.  Went  fourteen  miles,  to  the 
Dutch  grocery.  Took  a  long  tramp  in  the  woods.  Two 
negroes  cut  down  two  hickory  trees  for  us  to  gather  the 
nuts.  We  had  to  return  to  the  boat  on  account  of  rain. 
There  has  been  a  terrible  battle  at  Murfreesboro,  we  hear. 

Attended  a  pleasant  dancing  party  given  by  Mrs. 
Lowe  on  the  boat  Ewing.  We  all  enjoyed  it  very  much, 
it  was  such  a  new  experience.  We  did  not  go  back  to 
camp  until  after  ten  o'clock  (after  taps  they  call  it), 
and  not  one  of  the  officers  had  the  countersign,  so 
when  we  got  to  the  picket  there  were  a  number  of  of 
ficers  waiting  for  the  Colonel  to  give  them  the  counter 
sign.  In  his  hurry  to  get  ready  he  had  not  thought  to 
get  it,  but  I  had  opened  the  note  and  was,  therefore,  the 
only  one  in  the  crowd  who  knew  it,  so  I  had  to  whisper 
it  to  the  guard  before  they  would  let  us  pass.  I  often  go 
to  the  hospital  and  take  some  little  good  thing  to  the 
sick  boys.  They  appreciate  it,  I  can  tell  you. 


COLONEL  LYON'S  LETTERS. 

"Feb.  3,  1863. — Our  mails  are  very  irregular.  All 
the  steamers  are  used  by  the  Government  to  carry  troops 
to  Vicksburg  and  Nashville.  There  are  no  signs  of  our 
being  ordered  away  from  here  at  present,  although  T 
should  not  be  surprised  if  we  had  a  march  and  a  fight 
soon.  We  get  intelligence  that  the  rebels  in  large  force 


78  REMINISCENCES 

are  preparing  to  obstruct  the  passage  of  the  Cumber 
land  river  between  Donelson  and  Clarksville.  If  so, 
they  must  be  dislodged,  as  the  use  of  the  Cumberland  is 
indispensible  to  General  Rosecrans.  A  late  order  trans 
fers  us  from  General  Grant's  to  General  Rosecrans' 
command." 

" February  6,  1863. — We  received  the  intelligence 
en  Tuesday  afternoon  at  one  o'clock  that  the  rebels  were 
advancing  on  Donelson.  The  only  forces  there  were  the 
83d  Illinois,  Colonel  Harding,  and  Flood's  2d  Illinois 
Battery  of  four  pieces.  Colonel  Harding  had  also  a  32- 
pcunder  siege  gun  in  position.  One  of  his  companies 
was  absent,  so  that  the  whole  defensive  force  there  was 
less  than  700  men,  with  five  pieces  of  artillery. 

"We  could  not  ascertain  whether  the  rebels  were  in 
large  force,  and  we  apprehended  that  the  attack  there 
was  only  a  feint,  and  that  the  real  point  of  attack  would 
be  Fort  Henry.  Colonel  Lowe  hesitated,  therefore,  to 
send  reinforcements  until  the  necessity  was  apparent. 

"Finally  we  got  a  dispatch  that  the  battle  had  com 
menced,  and  I  was  ordered  to  push  rapidly  over  there 
(it  is  fifteen  miles  from  here)  with  the  Thirteenth.  Soon 
after  we  left  the  telegraph  wire  was  cut,  which  showed 
that  the  enemy  were  in  our  path.  Colonel  Lowe  started 
reinforcements  to  me.  Six  miles  this  side  of  Fort  Don- 
eJson  my  advance  guard  was  fired  into  and  fell  back  to 
the  main  body.  This  was  after  dark.  I  formed  a  line  of 
battle  and  reconnoitered  in  front.  The  first  men  that 
advanced  in  front  of  our  lines  were  fired  upon  and 
wounded.  We  reconnoitered  carefully  in  front,  and 
hearing  heavy  firing  renewed  at  Donelson,  I  pushed  on 
with  the  main  body,  moving  slowly,  with  skirmishers 
deployed  to  the  front. 

"In  the  meantime  Colonel  Lowe  learned  that  we 
were  attacked  and  sent  me  three  pieces  of  artillery  and 
more  infantry.  I  moved  slowly  and  cautiously  to  within 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  79 

two  miles  of  Donelson,  occasionally  sending  couriers  in 
advance  to  ascertain  the  situation  of  things  at  the  fort, 
for  up  to  this  time  we  had  no  intelligence  from  there. 
We  passed  the  point  where  the  rebel  force  on  our  road 
had  been  stationed.  We  learned  from  citizens  that  they 
had  300  or  400  men  there,  who  retreated  on  our  ap 
proach. 

"About  midnight  one  of  our  couriers  returned  with 
intelligence  that  the  road  was  clear,  and  we  moved  on  to 
the  fort.  We  found,  when  we  arrived  there,  that  the 
place  was  attacked  between  one  and  two  o'clock  by  at 
least  four  thousand  rebels  with  from  ten  to  thirteen 
pieces  of  artillery.  They  were  commanded  by  a  Major- 
General  Wheeler  and  two  Brigadiers,  Forrest  and 
Wharton.  The  fight  lasted  until  night.  The  rebels  sur 
rounded  the  place,  their  lines  running  from  the  river 
bank  above  to  the  river  bank  below  the  town,  which  is 
surrounded  by  high  hills.  What  is  called  Fort  Donel- 
son  is  really  the  village  of  Dover.  The  fortifications  are 
abandoned  and  did  not  figure  in  the  fight.  They  charged 
repeatedly  upon  our  men,  but  were  invariably  repulsed. 
The  history  of  this  war  shows  no  such  fighting  as  was 
done  by  the  83d  Illinois  and  Flood's  Battery.  Without 
fortifications,  except  slight  breastworks  improvised  for 
the  occasion,  inferior  in  artillery,  and  700  against  4,000, 
they  fought  for  hours,  through  ravines,  over  hills, 
through  the  streets  of  the  village,  behind  houses,  in  com 
panies,  by  squads,  and  often  single-handed,  they  con 
tested  every  inch  of  ground  until  night  ended  the  con 
flict.  And  to  render  the  condition  of  these  gallant  men 
more  desperate,  at  four  o'clock  the  battery  was  out  of 
ammunition. 

"The  regiment  was  never  in  battle  before,  but  every 
man  fought  like  a  veteran.  At  night,  with  their  lines 
drawn  closely  around  the  town,  and  their  batteries  all  in 
position  to  renew  the  attack  in  the  morning,  the  enemy 


80  REMINISCENCES 

sent  iii  a  demand  to  Colonel  Harding  to  surrender  the 
place  or  take  the  consequences.  The  Colonel  replied 
that  it  was  against  his  orders  to  surrender  and  he  must 
therefore  'take  the  consequences.'  All  the  time  I  knew, 
as  did  also  Colonel  Harding,  that  several  gunboats  were 
on  their  way  up  the  Cumberland  river  and  would  reach 
Donelson  on  Tuesday  evening.  The  rebels  knew  nothing 
of  this. 

"The  gunboats  arrived  about  eight  o'clock  and 
opened  fire  with  eight-inch  Dahlgrens  upon  the  rebels, 
scattering  them  in  dismay  out  of  our  reach.  Early  in 
the  morning  we  found  that  they  were  rapidly  retreating 
southeast,  in  the  direction  from  whence  they  came.  The 
slaughter  amongst  them  was  terrible.  The  morning 
after  we  arrived  there  I  looked  over  the  ground  and 
dead  bodies  could  be  seen  in  every  direction.  Up  to 
Wednesday  evening  our  men  had  buried  125  dead  rebels, 
and  they  were  still  being  found  and  brought  in.  We 
find  the  houses  all  along  the  line  of  their  retreat  filled 
with  their  wounded,  and  they  took  off  all  that  they  could 
move.  Their  killed  will,  I  think,  amount  to  200  and 
their  wounded  to  600  or  800.  The  most  remarkable  cir 
cumstance  of  the  whole  affair  is  that  the  loss  on  our 
side  was  only  11  killed  and  41  wounded ! 

"This  battle  was  fought  a  mile  or  more  from  old 
Fort  Donelson.  We  have  since  learned  that  it  was  their 
intention  to  capture  Fort  Donelson  and  then  move  their 
whole  force  on  to  Fort  Henry  and  take  that  fort  also. 
There  are  great  stores  of  supplies  and  provisions,  as  well 
as  arms,  here.  Hence  they  threw  out  a  strong  force  on 
the  Fort  Henry  road  to  retard  the  advance  of  reinforce 
ments  from  here;  and  then  when  they  got  Fort  Donel 
son  they  could  throw  their  whole  force  on  us,  they 
thought,  and  exterminate  us.  It  was  well  planned — the 
theory  was  perfect — but  it  did  not  work  well. 

"Yesterday  we  returned  to  our  old  quarters.     Be- 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  81 

fore  leaving  Donelson,  however,  we  saw  the  Twenty- 
Second  Wisconsin,  which,  with  20,000  to  30,000  other 
troops,  were  there  on  their  way  to  Nashville  and  Mur- 
freesboro.  They  have  buried  70  men  and  left  150  sick 
behind  them.  The  regiment  is  not  in  a  good  condition. 
I  marched  the  Thirteenth  down  to  the  boat  on  which 
was  the  Twenty-Second,  drew  up  in  line,  gave  them  a 
few  rounds  of  cheers,  said  'Good-bye,'  and  left  for  home. 
"They  got  news  in  camp  after  we  left  for  Fort  Don- 
elson  that  we  were  fighting,  and  the  fact  that  Colonel 
Lowe  was  constantly  pushing  reinforcements  to  me 
seemed  to  confirm  it,  and  the  women  got  quite  nervous 
about  us." 


MRS.  LYON'S  DIARY. 

Fort  Henry,  Tenn.,  Feb.  4 — A  dispatch  from  Col 
onel  Lowe  yesterday  called  the  Thirteenth  to  Fort  Don- 
elson.  We  had  a  night  of  great  excitement.  All  the  men 
went  out  of  camp  except  the  sick,  and  all  that  could 
stand  up  on  their  feet  followed.  We  heard  that  the  Thir 
teenth  was  fighting  about  six  miles  out.  We  could  hear 
the  cannon  boom  once  in  a  while.  After  dark,  and  all 
night,  the  couriers  were  running.  They  brought  news 
that  some  of  the  officers  were  killed.  I  had  to  bear  this 
alone,  for  I  could  not  tell  the  wives,  and  thought  it 
might  not  be  true ;  and  if  it  was  I  did  not  want  to  be  the 
one  to  tell  them.  We  packed  up  everything,  and  were 
ready  to  start  at  a  moment's  notice.  We  were  to  take 
the  boat  and  go  down  the  river  a  few  miles.  After  mid 
night  the  ladies  all  got  together  in  our  tent  and  talked. 
They  seemed  to  depend  upon  me.  I  felt  myself  a  very 
weak  stick — I  knew  of  these  reports,  and  felt  so  nervous. 


82 


REMINISCENCES 


MAP   OP   FORT   HENRY,    TENN.,    FEB.    28,    1863. 
DRAWN    BY    COLONEL,   LYON. 


OF    THE    CIVIL   WAR  83 

FROM  COLONEL  LYON'S  LETTERS. 

"Feb.  9,  1863. — There  is  a  report  that  Van  Dora  is 
advancing  upon  us  from  the  southwest  with  a  large 
force,  which  may  be  true.  Many  of  the  rebel  army  are 
in  a  starving  condition.  It  was  for  that  reason  they 
were  so  anxious  to  get  in  here. 

"The  weather  is  very  warm,  with  lots  of  mud.  We 
are  doing  some  work  on  fortifications  and  giving  the 
rebels  some  chance  to  do  us  a  good  turn  if  they  choose 
to  give  us  a  call.  If  we  are  attacked  here  at  any  time  we 
shall  put  the  women  on  a  steamer  and  send  them  a  few 
miles  down  the  river." 

"Fort  Henry,  Feb.  13,  1863.— No  excitement  here 
now  about  an  attack,  yet  we  may  have  a  fight  in  a  week. 
These  matters  are  all  uncertain.  Secesh  comes  like  a 
thief  in  the  night.  We  are  always  ready." 

"Feb.  20,  1863.— Night  before  last  I  had  informa 
tion  leading  me  to  believe  that  an  attack  here  was  quite 
probable,  and  as  a  measure  of  precaution  I  had  all  the 
women  pack  their  trunks  and  get  ready  to  'vamose  the 
ranch/  at  double  quick  if  necessary.  We  were  up  most 
of  the  night.  We  were  misled  by  the  telegraph  operator 
at  Fort  Donelson.  In  the  morning  all  was  explained 
and  we  resumed  our  usual  equanimity.  Colonel  Lowe  is 
absent,  and  the  whole  responsibility  in  case  of  an  at 
tack  here  is  on  me. 

"A  very  heavy  wind  last  evening  made  our  tent  and 
Adelia's  nerves  shake  considerable,  but  I  made  every 
thing  right  by  holding  down  the  tent  pole." 

"Feb.  28,  1863. — The  water  is  very  high,  and  rising 
about  one  foot  in  24  hours.  It  is  at  least  30  feet  above 
its  ordinary  height  last  fall.  We  have  built  a  bridge  of 
logs  over  the  ravine  (see  map),  as  the  water  rose,  and  I 
think  it  must  be  15  feet  high  and  20  to  25  rods  long.  The 
logs  are  laid  up  crib  fashion,  with  plank  on  top.  A  rise 


84  REMINISCENCES 

cf  four  feet  more  will  cover  the  ridge  nearest  the  river 
and  drive  our  troops  out  of  the  fort.  A  rise  of  five  or 
six  feet  will  let  steamers  run  up  to  our  camp.  They 
could  come  up  now  through  the  ravine  were  it  not  for 
the  trees, 

"The  weather  is  delightful,  just  like  your  most 
pleasant  May.  This  is  a  great  country  for  frogs.  They 
keep  up  a  terrible  clatter  every  night." 


MRS.  LYON'S  DIARY. 

Feb.  22,  1863. — Another  scare.  There  is  a  large 
rebel  force  at  Waverley.  The  boys  in  the  hospital  are 
all  better,  except  one  poor  Norwegian,  who  is  dying  of 
homesickness.  I  tried  to  encourage  him,  but  it  was  of 
no  use,  he  is  so  despondent. 

Feb.  27,  1863.— Went  with  the  ladies  to  the  pho 
tographer's.  Took  a  long  walk  on  the  new  bridge  and 
to  the  sutler's.  Mrs.  Warren  treated  us  to  some  apples, 
being  the  only  lady  that  had  any  money.  Nearly  pay 
day. 

Feb.  28,  1863. — Went  to  inspection  and  muster. 
Called  at  the  hospital.  A  large  party  of  us  visited  the 
old  Secesh  camp.  Their  chimneys  are  still  standing.  It 
was  all  dry  and  pleasant  there. 

March  3,  1863. — William  was  telegraphing  with 
General  Rosecrans  until  ten  o'clock  respecting  Van 
Dorn.  We  are  threatened  with  an  attack.  We  are  get 
ting  quite  used  to  this  now. 

March  4,  1863. — The  regiment  has  just  received 
orders  to  march  to  Fort  Donelson  and  leave  at  once.  I 
expect  we  women  will  have  to  go  home. 

March  5,  1863. — Stayed  with  Mrs.  Hewitt  all  night. 
We  hardly  slept  a  bit.  We  were  afraid  of  guerillas. 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAK  85 


There  were  strange  men  all  through  the  camp  in  the  day 
time.  We  were  afraid  they  might  come  again  at  night. 
There  is  but  a  small  guard  left  here  to  protect  us.  No 
boat  yet. 

March  6,  1863. — Raining,  and  no  boat.  I  decided  to 
go  to  Port  Donelson.  We  got  there  near  dark,  tired 
almost  to  death.  Found  Minerva  quite  sick.  All  the 
ladies  came  here  and  we  got  supper  for  them,  two  ambu 
lance  loads.  William  came  out  to  help  the  ladies  out.  I 
came  out  first  and  he  was  so  glad  to  see  me  that  he  took 
me  into  the  house  and  forgot  what  he  went  out  for,  but 
was  excused.  They  laughed  at  him  and  joked  him.  He 
had  secured  a  large  room  in  a  large  house  for  headquar 
ters.  We  will  try  living  in  a  house  for  awhile. 

Fort  Donelson,  March  8,  1863.— The  rest  of  the 
women  came  over  today.  Mrs.  Twist  and  Mrs.  Norton 
stayed  with  the  other  privates'  wives — the  husbands 
stayed  as  guards.  The  roads  are  awful.  They  had  no 
arrangements  made,  so  they  made  a  field  bed  for  the  four 
women  and  children.  Raining  all  the  time  since  we 
came. 

Fort  Donelson,  March  9,  1863.— We  don't  do  much 
but  cook.  There  is  a  large  family  of  us.  It  is  lucky  that 
we  have  a  large  room. 

Fort  Donelson,  March  10,  1863. — Raining  all  day. 
Captain  Woodman  and  the  Rugers  took  dinner  with  us. 
The  Armeda  came  with  the  rest  of  the  ladies.  They  came 
around  by  Paducah.  Only  two  ladies  out  of  24  went 
home. 


COLONEL   LYON'S   LETTERS. 

"Fort  Donelson,  Tenn.,  March  8, 1863.— On  Tuesday 
last  I  had  orders  from  General  Rosecrans  to  evacuate 
Fort  Henry  and  come  here.  This  was  soon  followed  by 


86  REMINISCENCES 

another  order  to  evacuate  Fort  Heiman  also — thus 
abandoning  the  Tennessee  river  entirely.  We  marched 
here  on  Tuesday  evening  and  arrived  after  mid 
night,  leaving  Adelia  at  Fort  Henry  expecting 
that  she  would  have  to  go  home;  but  on  send 
ing  back  our  wagons  for  baggage  the  next  day, 
she  and  nearly  all  the  ladies  concluded  to  come  here, 
which  they  did,  arriving  Friday  night. 

"It  is  very  troublesome  to  get  the  artillery  and  cav 
alry  across  the  river  from  Fort  Heiman,  and  they  are  not 
all  over  yet,  The  high  water  causes  the  trouble. 

"I  found  on  getting  here  that  Colonel  Harding  had 
provided  a  room  for  me  in  a  house  occupied  by  him  as 
headquarters,  inside  the  fortifications,  so  we  are  quite 
comfortable. 

"I  am  glad  to  get  the  regiment  away  from  Fort 
Henry,  there  is  so  much  country  under  water  there  that 
I  think  sickness  will  prevail  when  the  water  subsides. 
This  place  is  dry  and  hilly,  without  any  overflow  in  high 
water.  It  is  a  healthy  point. 

"There  are  a  great  many  boats  running  up  and 
down  the  Cumberland,  taking  supplies  to  General  Rose- 
crans'  army.  I  think  there  is  no  rebel  force  of  any  con 
siderable  size  in  this  vicinity.  We  have  a  strong  forti 
fication,  plenty  of  artillery,  and  a  reasonable  number  of 
troops,  and  can  whip  almost  anything  that  comes/' 

"Fort  Donelson,  Tenn.,  March  12,  1863.— We  are 
well  and  have  gotten  quite  comfortably  settled  after 
our  move.  The  weather  is  very  pleasant  now,  mud  rap 
idly  drying  up. 

"I  don't  know  that  I  ever  told  you  that  our  officers 
elected  Dr.  Smith,  of  Buffalo,  Chaplain  of  this  regiment 
some  time  ago.  Just  received  a  letter  accepting  the  ap 
pointment,  but  he  will  not  join  us  probably  for  some 
weeks. 

"Business  is  very  active  on  the  Cumberland,  as  all 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  87 

the  supplies  for  General  Rosecrans'  army  go  up  this 
river.  A  fleet  of  twenty  or  more  transports,  convoyed  by 
gunboats,  left  here  this  morning  for  Nashville. 

"You  have  doubtless  heard  ere  this  that  the  22d 
Regiment,  Colonel  Utley,  is  captured.  We  have  no  par 
ticulars  yet.  They  doubtless  fought  gallantly.  I  do 
not  think  either  the  regiment  or  its  officers  are  to  blame. 
The  period  of  our  stay  here  is  very  uncertain." 


MRS.  LYON'S  DIARY. 

March  15,  1863. — We  went  to  church  and  heard  Mr. 
McKenney,  Chaplain  of  the  Tlst  Ohio,  the  first  preach 
ing  I  have  listened  to  in  three  months.  After  dinner  we 
walked  to  the  burying  ground,  where  the  heaviest  of  the 
last  battle  was  fought.  There  were  a  number  of  bodies 
picked  up  right  here.  Two  battles  were  fought  over  this 
ground.  It  had  once  been  decorated  beautifully.  There 
are  a  number  of  slabs  that  are  box-shaped,  handsome 
monuments,  nearly  all  broken  by  cannon  balls  and 
shells.  It  makes  a  desolate  place  of  it.  After  the  last 
battle  they  dug  pits  and  put  from  twenty  to  forty  bodies 
in  each  grave,  without  even  a  box  to  shelter  them.  There 
are  a  great  many  interesting  places  around  here,  made 
so  by  events  that  will  enter  history. 

March  16,  1863.— The  boys  found  a  dead  rebel  in 
our  quarters,  buried  about  six  inches  below  the  surface. 

March  17,  1863. — We  all  went  out  to  see  the  dress 
parade.  The  ground  has  been  so  muddy  and  broken  that 
they  have  not  had  a  parade  lately.  The  Thirteenth  Regi 
ment  surpasses  them  all. 

In  the  night  the  telegraph  operator  came  to  say  that 
Colonel  Harding  was  promoted  to  Brigadier-General. 
Most  of  his  regiment,  the  83d,  came  down  here  to  con- 


88  REMINISCENCES 

gratulate  him.  They  serenaded  him,  sang  all  kinds  of 
war  songs,  and  tried  to  get  into  his  room,  but  all  in  vain. 
A  boat  came  by  with  a  band  on  it  that  played  beauti 
fully. 


LETTER  FROM  MRS.  LYON. 

Fort  Donelson,  March  17,  1863.— The  dangers  that 
surround  us  have  made  us  appreciate  every  hour  to 
gether.  Our  train  went  over  to  Fort  Henry  day  before 
yesterday,  and  on  coming  back  yesterday  they  saw  a 
number  of  rebels,  who  probably  meant  to  attack  the 
train  but  saw  it  so  strongly  guarded  that  they  let  it 
alone. 


LETTER  FROM  COLONEL  LYON. 

"Fort  Donelson,  March  24,  1863. — I  suppose  you 
have  heard  lots  of  rumors  about  the  13th  having  surren 
dered  Fort  Donelson.  The  rebels  have  not  been  here  in 
force  since  they  were  so  awfully  whipped.  There  are 
guerilla  parties,  but  they  dare  not  attack  a  place  so  well 
fortified. 

"We  are  getting  to  be  quite  aristocratic,  we  live  in 
a  large  house  with  Brigadier-General  Harding,  formerly 
Colonel  of  the  83d  Illinois,  the  regiment  that  fought  the 
late  battle  here. 

"Yours  of  the  1st  of  March  came  to  hand  in  due  time. 
We  were  a  little  curious  to  know  how  you  knew  at  that 
time  that  we  were  coming  here,  when  we  did  not  know  it 
ourselves.  The  first  intimation  we  had  of  it  was  a  tele 
gram  from  General  Kosecrans  to  me,  March  4th,  order 
ing  the  force  at  Fort  Henry  over  here.  We  had,  however, 
expected  orders  to  go  to  some  other  point,  for  some  time, 


OF    THE    CIVIL   WAR  89 

as  Fort  Henry  was  all  under  water  and  there  was  no 
earthly  use  in  keeping  troops  there  any  longer. 

"Fort  Heiman,  opposite  Fort  Henry  across  the  Ten 
nessee  river,  is  a  commanding  point.  That  fort  was  also 
evacuated,  but  has  since  been  occupied  by  troops  from 
General  Grant's  department.  There  is  no  prospect  of  an 
immediate  fight  here,  but  this  is  a  sort  of  key  position 
and  any  little  change  of  program  on  either  side  may 
n?ake  it  the  scene  of  heavy  conflict.  This  post  will  doubt 
less  be  occupied  by  considerable  of  a  force  for  some  time, 
or  at  least  until  there  is  some  decisive  change  of  affairs 
in  this  region." 


MRS.  LYON'S  DIARY. 

March  19,  1863.— The  83d  gives  a  grand  party  on 
the  Ewing  tonight  in  honor  of  Colonel  Harding.  We 
shall  go. 

March  20,  1862. — There  is  to  be  a  grand  concert  to 
night  on  the  Ewing,  given  by  Professor  Wootock.  We 
are  all  invited  and  shall  go. 

March  21,  1863. — The  concert  was  grand.  They 
varied  the  program  by  once  in  a  while  dancing  a  cotil 
lion.  The  music  was  charming.  We  all  enjoyed  it  im 
mensely. 

We  found  three  rebel  graves  in  our  dooryard.  The 
bodies  were  buried  about  six  inches  deep.  They  were 
buried  as  they  retreated,  we  suppose.  Poor  fellows,  it 
will  never  be  known! 


LETTEK  FROM  COLONEL  LYON  TO  ISAAC  LYON. 

"March  25,  1863. — We  live  in  a  house  now  and  have 
a  large  room  with  a  fireplace.    We  have  partitioned  off  a 


90  REMINISCENCES 

bedroom  in  one  corner,  and  are  building  a  kitchen  near 
by  for  our  colored  folks.  We  live  mostly  on  the  usual 
rations,  with  eggs  and  butter  added.  We  pay  twenty 
cents  for  eggs.  Have  bought  no  butter  yet.  We  live  in 
constant  expectation  of  a  paymaster.  The  Government 
owes  me  now  over  $1,000.  I  only  expect  to  get  about 
f  450  at  the  next  payment. 

"At  present  we  are  not  menaced  with  an  attack 
here,  and  we  have  the  means  with  which  to  make  a  stout 
defense  should  we  be  attacked;  but  a  movement  of  the 
rebels  against  the  right  flank  of  General  Rosecrans' 
army  would  be  very  apt  to  strike  us.  If,  as  is  now  re 
ported,  the  rebels  are  evacuating  Vicksburg  and  rein 
forcing  Bragg,  we  shall  have  stirring  times  in  this 
vicinity  before  spring  is  gone. 

"I  suppose  you  have  heard  the  report  that  Fort  Don- 
el  son  was  taken  and  the  13th  had  gone  the  way  of  the 
22d.  The  story  was  made  out  of  whole  cloth  by  some 
lying  telegraph  operator." 


MRS.  LYON'S  DIARY. 

Fort  Donelson,  March  31,  1863.— There  is  a  house 
over  in  Dover  with  650  bullet  holes  in  it,  and  one  corner 
of  the  cornice,  or  corner  of  the  house  roof,  was  taken  off 
entirely  by  a  shell  at  the  time  of  the  fight.  The  rebels 
got  into  that  house  and  shot  from  it.  The  83d  did  not 
like  this  and  ordered  them  to  surrender.  They  held  out 
for  some  time,  but  at  last  surrendered.  Captain  Morril 
(afterward  Governor  of  Kansas)  lives  in  this  house 
now. 

April  1,  1863. — We  all  went  on  an  excursion  on  the 
Nevada,  up  to  the  rolling  mills,  a  beautiful  spot.  We 
got  some  interesting  specimens  of  slag.  Colonel  Lowe 
accompanied  us.  We  had  a  very  pleasant  trip. 


OF    THE    CIVIL   WAR  91 

LETTER  FROM  COLONEL  LYON. 

"Fort  Donelson,  April  2,  1863. — You  have  heard,  no 
doubt,  that  the  balance  of  the  22d  Regiment  (Colonel 
Utley),  is  'gobbled'.  What  a  poor,  unfortunate  regiment 
it  has  been  and  is!  There  is,  however,  no  stain  of  dis 
honor  upon  it.  When  it  passed  up  the  Cumberland  in 
February  last  the  men  appeared  dejected,  and  the  regi 
ment  was  not,  for  some  cause  or  other,  in  a  good  shape. 
Now  it  is  ruined.  I  would  go  down  to  a  bloody  grave, 
oh,  so  cheerfully,  rather  than  live  to  see  the  13th  in  the 
condition  that  the  22d  is  in.7' 


MRS.  LYON'S  DIARY. 

Fort  Donelsou,  April  3,  1863. — Great  excitement  in 
camp.  We  were  awakened  this  morning  at  three  o'clock 
with  the  news  that  Van  Dorn  has  a  force  at  Palmyra. 
They  attacked  a  fleet  that  was  going  to  Nashville  and 
disabled  a  gunboat.  The  orders  are  to  move  the  sick  on 
the  boat  and  the  ladies  to  pack  ready  for  a  move  to  the 
boat  if  attacked. 

Fort  Donelson,  April  5,  1863. — The  scare  is  over. 
Van  Dorn  has  proven  to  be  Woodward.  We  are  still 
quiet  and  safe  and  do  not  expect  an  attack  from  him. 


LETTERS   FROM    COLONEL  LYON. 

"Fort  Donelson,  April  9,  1863. — At  present  there 
seems  to  be  no  considerable  force  of  rebels  in  our  vicin 
ity,  and  we  are  resting  very  quietly. 

"We  held  an  election  on  Tuesdav  for  Chief  Justice. 


92  REMINISCENCES 

Our  nine  companies  have  cast  385  votes,  of  which  Dixon 
received  357  and  Cothren  28;  majority  for  Dixon,  329. 
Our  other  company  is  at  Hickman,  Ky. 

"We  are  doing  much  work  upon  the  fortifications 
here  and  will  soon  have  a  strong  fort  in  a  strong  posi 
tion. 

"A  few  days  ago,  April  3d,  some  gunboats  were  fired 
upon  with  artillery  above  here,  under  circumstances  that 
led  us  to  apprehend  an  attack  here.  We  sent  off  our 
sick,  and  all  our  women  packed  up  ready  to  start,  but  no 


MRS.  LYON'S  DIARY. 

Fort  Donelson,  April  10,  1863. — Five  gunboats 
went  by  this  morning.  Woodward's  force  fired  into  two 
boats  with  artillery  and  sank  them.  They  were  laden 
with  sutler's  stores.  A  detachment  of  the  13th  went 
up  the  river. 

April  11,  1863.— Orders  came  to  have  the  13th,  five 
companies  of  the  83d  Illinois,  two  of  the  71st  Ohio,  and 
five  of  the  5th  Iowa  cavalry,  Colonel  Lyon  commanding, 
go  out  twelve  miles  to  the  relief  of  Major  Young. 

April  12,  1863. — The  gunboats  destroyed  Palmyra 
on  the  9th.  Regiment  returned  all  safe,  did  not  see  the 
enemy. 


LETTER  FROM  COLONEL  LYON. 

"Fort  Donelson,  April  13,  1863. — We  have  had  a 
little  expedition.  One  Woodward,  a  rebel,  has  a  force 
of  about  2,000  men  with  artillery  up  the  river,  harrass- 
ing  boats.  We  had  a  force  up  about  twelve  miles  in  the 
country,  and  hearing  that  Woodward  was  intending  to 
try  and  cut  it  off,  I  was  sent  out  early  Saturday  morn- 


OF    THE    CIVIL   WAR  93 

ing  with  reinforcements  to  give  him  a  fight  if  he  came 
around ;  but  he  did  not  come,  so  we  returned  last  night 
— without  a  fight,  as  usual." 


MRS.  LYON'S  DIARY. 

Fort  Donelson,  April  15,  1863. — Had  a  slight  scare. 
Five  or  six  of  the  83d  boys  were  just  outside  of  the 
pickets  and  were  taken  prisoners.  It  did  not  amount  to 
much  of  a  scene. 

April  18. — An  expedition  went  out  in  ambulances 
this  morning  to  the  old  fighting  ground  of  two  years' 
ago.  It  was  very  interesting  to  wander  over  the  ground 
where  so  many  had  fallen.  It  makes  one  feel  very  sad. 

April  21. — I  am  packing  up  to  go  home.  We  go  on 
the  Ewing  as  far  as  Paducah.  Nearly  all  of  the  officers 
and  wives  came  and  spent  the  evening  with  us — quite  a 
surprise  party. 

April  22. — Mrs.  Wemple  quite  sick.  We  were  going 
home  together.  She  feels  so  badly  about  my  going 
without  her,  and  William  does  not  want  me  to  go  alone 
and  has  put  a  veto  on  my  going  yet. 

April  25. — One  of  Company  B's  boys  was  drowned 
today  while  bathing. 

April  26. — Went  to  church.  Took  a  long  walk, 
gathered  flowers.  Haley,  the  scout,  has  been  after  his 
family  farther  South,  in  the  Secesh  regions.  He  had  to 
go  on  the  sly  and  keep  hidden  while  there  whenever  he 
went  to  see  them.  So  William  sent  a  guard  with  him 
and  an  ambulance  and  brought  them  here — his  wife  and 
wife's  mother,  and  two  children.  His  little  girl  three 
years  old  had  croup  the  night  before  wrhile  they  were  on 
the  road.  She  seemed  very  hoarse,  but  did  not  seem  sick 
when  they  went  to  bed,  but  at  two  o'clock  she  died  in 


94  REMINISCENCES 

great  suffering.  She  was  a  beautiful  little  golden- 
haired  child. 

May  1. — Our  pickets  were  fired  into  last  night.  One 
man  was  wounded  and  two  were  captured.  When  we 
feel  the  most  safe  we  appear  to  be  in  the  most  danger. 

May  8. — The  cavalry  brought  in  several  prisoners. 
The  Hinsons  were  amongst  them. 

May  9. — A  large  party  of  us  started  for  Nashville. 
William  could  not  go,  it  is  too  bad.  We  went  as  far  as 
Clarksville  and  stayed  there  all  night.  We  took  a  long 
walk  all  over  Clarksville.  We  went  with  quite  a  little 
fleet,  two  gunboats  in  front  and  one  behind.  There  is 
danger  of  the  rebels  capturing  the  boats. 

May  10. — We  sat  on  deck  nearly  all  day  to  view  the 
scenery,  which  is  very  picturesque.  The  gunboats 
shelled  the  bluffs.  There  are  different  places  where  they 
had  cannon  stationed,  but  they  did  not  trouble  us.  We 
sat  on  the  bow  of  the  boat  to  watch  the  shells  explode. 
We  arrived  at  Nashville  without  seeing  a  rebel  and  very 
few  contrabands.  We  got  there  just  in  time  to  go  to 
church.  Went  to  the  Methodist  Church  and  heard  the 
minister  preach  Secesh  principles. 

May  11. — Went  up  in  town  to  trade  and  see  the 
sights.  Took  dinner  on  the  boat.  After  dinner  had  a 
carriage  and  drove  all  over  the  city.  Went  to  the  capitol 
and  all  over  it.  Saw  President  Folk's  residence  and 
visited  his  grave.  It  is  in  his  own  garden,  or  dooryard, 
in  front  of  the  house.  Saw  the  residences  of  Colonel 
McNara  and  Colonel  Heiman.  Mr.  Hill's  garden  has  a 
fountain  and  gold  fish.  Saw  the  Confederate  General 
Zollicoffer's  residence  and  John  Bell's.  Went  to  the 
State  Prison  (a  little  out  of  town).  Went  back  to  the 
boat  and  could  not  get  supper  and  had  to  go  back  to  the 
city  to  a  restaurant. 

May  12. — Had  a  great  time  last  night.  Had  to 
change  boats  and  took  the  Prairie  Maid.  Had  several 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  95 

hours  this  morning  and  went  into  the  city.  Called  on 
the  Chief  of  Ordinance,  Captain  Townsend.  Went  back 
to  the  boat  after  strolling  around  all  we  wanted  to,  and 
started  for  Fort  Donelson.  Got  to  Clarksville  and  went 
into  the  city  to  the  college,  now  used  for  a  hospital. 

May  13. — Arrived  at  Fort  Donelson  early  and  had 
breakfast  on  the  boat. 

May  21. — Colonel  Lowe  has  gone  away  and  left  Wil 
liam  in  command  of  the  post.  I  hope  we  will  not  have  a 
scare. 

May  22. — A  large  party  of  us  went  on  board  a  gun 
boat.  It  was  very  interesting  to  see  how  they  work  the 
guns. 

May  24. — News  just  came  that  Vicksburg  is  evacu 
ated.  Colonel  Lowe  sent  word  to  have  the  guns  fired  and 
the  flag  raised. 

May  25. — All  the  forces  in  camp  had  a  grand  re 
view.  It  was  an  inspiring  sight. 

May  27. — Mr.  Stanton  came  to  our  quarters  before 
daylight  and  said  that  the  boat  had  come  and  would 
wait  an  hour.  I  got  ready  and  we  walked  over  to  the 
landing  and  took  the  boat  Sunny  Side.  We  have  parted 
with  our  husbands — perhaps  to  meet  no  more  on  earth. 
It  was  a  sad  parting,  but  we  will  hope  for  the  best.  God 
is  good,  and  in  His  infinite  mercy  He  doeth  all  things 
right. 

Arrived  at  Smithland  about  two  o'clock.  Mrs. 
Chapman  left  us  here.  We  were  sorry  to  part  with  her. 
We  realized  here  that  we  had  forgotten  Rachel  and  had 
to  go  back  to  camp  after  her.  She  had  found  out  that 
the  boat  had  arrived  and  was  all  ready.  [Rachel  was  a 
colored  woman  that  I  had  promised  to  take  to  Chicago 
with  me.]  We  changed  boats  at  Smithland.  Some  of 
the  party  took  a  Government  boat  in  the  night,  but  we 
preferred  to  wait  for  the  packet.  We  were  late  and  the 
boat  left  us. 


96  REMINISCENCES 


May  29. — We  took  the  cars  for  Chicago.  When  out 
a  few  miles  I  wished  Rachel  to  come  into  our  car.  They 
would  not  let  her  at  first,  but  I  spoke  to  the  conductor, 
and  he  said  if  she  belonged  to  me  she  might  come  into 
our  car.  I  told  him  that  she  belonged  to  me  as  much  as 
one  human  being  could  belong  to  another,  any  way  I 
was  taking  her  home  with  me.  He  went  into  the  other 
car  for  her  and  found  two  men  claiming  her,  who  were 
going  to  take  her  off  at  the  next  stopping  place.  She 
denied  ever  having  seen  them  before,  but  they  insisted 
that  she  belonged  to  one  of  them  and  that  he  should  take 
her  off ;  but  I  stopped  them  by  saying  that  she  belonged 
to  me,  and  I  suppose  that  I  looked  black  enough  to  be  a 
Southern  woman;  so  they  let  her  alone  and  I  took  her 
into  the  ladies'  car.  She  was  going  to  one  of  the  Chicago 
suburbs,  and  when  we  got  to  the  junction  she  bade  us 
good  bye.  The  train  stood  by  the  side  of  the  one  she  was 
going  to  take,  but  a  little  while  after  we  started  the  con 
ductor  brought  her  back  to  us.  She  had  gone  down  a 
few  cars  and  got  on  again.  We  had  a  good  laugh  with 
her,  but  she  was  out  of  danger  now  and  could  go  back 
at  any  time. 

May  30,  1863. — Arrived  home  safely. 


OF    THE    CIVIL   WAR 


97 


Donelson,  May  27,  1863.— Our  Court 
is  still  running.  I  have  attended 
very  faithfully  to  every  duty  that 
would  keep  me  away  from  the 
house.  It  is  so  lonesome  here!  Col 
onel  Chapman  acts  worse  than  I  do, 
but  I  know  he  doesn't  feel  any  worse. 
I  organized  our  mess  and  commenced 
today  at  dinner  with  the  Adjutant 
and  Quartermaster.  General  Harding  arrived  this 
evening  from  the  front,  on  his  way  to  Illinois.  He  has 
an  indefinite  leave  of  absence,  and  if  ordered  back  will 
probably  resign." 

"Fort  Donelson,  May  28,  1863. — An  expedition  of 
cavalry  has  gone  towards  Waverley.  Colonel  Lowe  left 
this  morning  for  Murfreesboro.  Our  officers  returned 
from  there  the  morning  after  you  left.  General  Rose- 
crans  asked  the  Major  whether  when  the  fortifications 
are  done  some  of  these  troops  could  not  be  spared  to  go 
to  Clark esville." 

"Fort  Donelson,  May  29,  1863.— The  Ewing  has  fin 
ally  got  here  and  will  go  down  about  Sunday.  We  get 
rumors  of  disaster  to  Grant  at  Vicksburg,  but  refuse  to 
believe  it  yet.  I  learn  that  some  of  the  troops  at  Fort 
Heiman  have  been  ordered  down  there.  If  we  were  in 
that  department  now  we  should  probably  be  sent,  too. 
We  may  be  as  it  is.  They  have  had  bloody  work  down 
there,  and  I  tremble  for  the  old  Eighth  where  I  have  so 
many  good  friends.  We  get  reports  that  Bragg's  army 
has  disappeared  from  Rosecrans'  front,  but  know  noth 
ing  definite." 

"Fort  Donelson,  May  30,  1863.— The  expedition 
from  Waverly  has  just  returned.  They  bring  a  report 
from  Waverly  that  it  was  seen  on  fire  yesterday — acci- 


REMINISCENCES 


dental,  of  course.  It  has  been  a  pestiferous  nest  of  trait 
ors  always  and  ought  to  be  wiped  out.'7 

"Fort  Donelson,  May  31,  1863.— The  officers  are 
with  me  considerable  to  prevent  my  getting  lonesome.  It 
is  one  of  these  beautiful  mellow  moonlight  evenings  so 
peculiar  to  this  climate. 

"I  have  given  a  number  of  negroes  passes  to  go  down 
on  the  Ewing." 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  1,  1863. — The  Ewing  went 
down  this  morning.  We  are  trying  George  Hinson  as  a 
spy.  I  sent  out  a  cavalry  scout  and  Companies  H  and  G, 
Captains  Noyes  and  Randall,  this  morning  down  the 
river  a  few  miles.  I  had  heard  that  old  Hinson  was 
there  with  a  party  of  guerillas.  I  was  not  sure,  but  it 
was  my  duty  to  find  out  the  facts.  Company  F  has  been 
to  Clarksville  guarding  a  fleet  and  has  just  returned. 
We  have  not  had  a  boat  from  below  for  three  days." 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  2,  1863. — Weather  cool  and 
cloudy.  River  is  rising  a  little.  H  and  G  returned  to 
day.  Found  no  enemy.  We  have  a  rumor  that  Wood 
ward,  with  1,500  men  and  four  pieces  of  artillery,  is  on 
Yellow  Creek,  thirty  miles  from  here. 

"The  fort  progresses  finely.  We  have  all  four  of 
those  32-pounders  in  position  now.  The  brigade  band  is 
about  organized  and  we  shall  have  lots  of  music  soon,  I 
suppose." 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  3,  1863. — Colonel  Lowe  was 
telegraphed  for  on  account  of  the  sickness  of  his  wife, 
and  the  command  of  the  post  will  doubtless  be  on  my 
shoulders  for  some  weeks.  There  is  no  danger  at  pres 
ent  that  we  shall  be  sent  away  from  here.  I  do  not  like 
to  have  this  responsibility  upon  me  at  all,  but  must 
stand  it,  I  reckon.  Captain  Ruger  starts  out  in  the 
morning  to  make  his  surveys,  or  rather  to  commence 
them.  His  wife  will  worry  for  fear  he  will  be  shot  by 
guerillas.  When  you  write  to  her  tell  her  that  I  will 


OF    THE    CIVIL    WAR  99 

keep  a  strong  guard  of  cavalry  and  infantry  with  him, 
and  will  do  everything  possible  for  his  safety  that  I 
can." 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  4,  1863. — Soon  after  I  went 
over  to  headquarters  this  morning,  an  order  came  to  me 
from  General  Rosecrans  to  send  the  5th  Iowa  Cavalry  to 
Murfreesboro,  and  then  another  directing  me  to  gather 
up  horses  and  mount  enough  infantry  for  patrols,  pick 
ets  and  scouts.  The  cavalry  will  cross  the  river  tomor 
row  and  march  by  Clarksville  and  Nashville.  The  1st 
Wisconsin  Cavalry,  now  at  Eddyville,  will  join  them  at 
Clarksville.  This  order  settles  matters  here  by  throwing 
the  command  of  this  post  on  my  shoulders,  and  probably 
fastens  us  here  for  some  time.  I  do  not  know,  but  pre 
sume,  that  Colonel  Lowe  will  have  a  cavalry  brigade  at 
the  front.  We  don't  hear  a  word  from  him.  You  know 
I  feared  this  result  when  Colonel  Lowe  was  ordered  to 
headquarters.  The  responsibility  of  this  command  is 
heavy  and  I  would  gladly  avoid  it.  It  would  be  a  very 
honorable  command  for  a  Brigadier-General,  and  is  a 
larger  and  more  responsible  one  than  many  of  them 
have.  Unless  there  is  some  change  I  have  a  laborious 
and  anxious  summer  before  me,  but  I  will  try  to  get 
along  with  it.  I  shall  start  an  expedition  in  a  day  or  two 
for  horses." 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  5,  1863. — Last  night  the  brass 
band  came  about  eleven  o'clock  and  gave  me  a  serenade. 
I  had  been  asleep  two  hours,  but  had  to  get  up,  dress,  go 
out  and  make  a  little  speech. 

"The  cavalry  crosses  this  afternoon  and  are  off  for 
good  tomorrow  morning.  They  feel  pretty  sober.  I 
send  out  Major  Bond  and  six  companies  of  infantry  to 
morrow  after  horses.  A  and  B  go  from  the  13th.  Little 
Johnny,  the  Adjutant's  orderly,  was  mad  this  morning. 
He  said,  'I  give  five  dollar  to  know  who  tied  my  mule 


100  REMINISCENCES 

loose  last  night.'    I  shall  keep  the  Adjutant  as  Post  Ad 
jutant." 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  6,  1863. — The  cavalry  started 
today — Major  Bond's  expedition  also,  and  it  is  very 
quiet  here.  I  have  been  beset  today  by  women  whose 
husbands  are  in  the  guard-house — citizens.  One  com 
plained  that  she  had  eight  small  children  and  nothing  to 
eat.  Her  husband  was  caught  taking  a  load  of  whisky 
South  some  time  since.  I  promised  to  investigate  the 
cases  soon. 

"You  recollect  a  Court-Martial  at  Fort  Henry  last 
winter,  of  which  Lieutenant  Warren  was  a  member. 
They  sentenced  a  private  in  Flood's  Battery  to  be  shot. 
The  sentence  has  just  come  back  approved,  with  a  direc 
tion  to  Colonel  Lowe  to  execute  it.  As  Colonel  Lowe  is 
named  in  the  order  I  do  not  like  to  shoot  the  fellow  with 
out  further  orders.  He  is  the  worst  desperado  I  ever 
saw.  He  is  the  fellow  that  used  to  break  his  fetters  so 
olten  last  winter,  and  once  he  escaped.  He  has  slipped 
his  handcuffs  twenty-seven  times  and  proposes  to  make 
it  a  round  thirty  before  he  gets  through." 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  7,  1863. — I  have  a  hard,  anx 
ious  summer  before  me.  At  home  some,  I  suppose,  will 
think  that  it  is  a  nice  thing  to  have  the  command  of  a 
post  like  this,  garrisoned  with  a  large  force,  with  a  fort 
and  lots  of  artillery,  and  no  commander  over  you  but 
General  Eosecrans.  It  is  a  very  honorable  command, 
one  that  a  higher  and  more  experienced  officer  might 
well  be  proud  of;  but  when  you  remember  that  it  is  a 
place  much  coveted  by  the  rebels,  one  where  several 
bloody  battles  have  already  been  fought,  and  where  we 
have  always  been  victorious;  a  place  that  no  com 
mander  would  surrender  so  long  as  he  had  a  man  left  to 
fire  a  gun ;  a  place  where  above  all  others  death  would  be 
preferable  to  defeat,  and  where  we  are  almost  entirely 


OP  THE  CIVIL  WAR  101 

out  of  the  reach  of  reinforcements  for  several  months  in 
the  year  if  attacked,  you  can  imagine  that  the  responsi 
bility  more  than  equals  the  honor  of  the  position. 

"The  most  pressing  work  now  is  to  finish  the  fort, 
build  the  magazine,  build  a  guard-house  inside  the 
works,  procure  forage  to  last  all  summer,  get  a  light  - 
draught  steamer  to  carry  our  mails  as  long  as  possible ; 
mount,  equip  and  organize  about  200  men  for  scouting 
purposes;  besides  several  minor  matters  which  require 
attention. 

"When  these  things  are  accomplished  I  shall  ask  for 
a  leave  of  absence.  Do  not  let  any  one  out  of  the  family 
see  this  letter.  It  is  egotistical,  and  I  have  no  right  to 
be  that  with  outsiders. 

"The  telegraph  wires  are  down  between  here  and 
Clarksville." 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  9,  1863.— All  quiet  on  the 
Cumberland.  It  is  raining  some  tonight.  Mr.  Hillman, 
a  wealthy  iron  manufacturer  on  the  river  below  Canton, 
stays  with  us  tonight.  My  duties  keep  me  very  busy 
nearly  all  the  time. 

"The  Nevada  arrived  today,  bringing  back  Dr.  Hor- 
ton,  Bardwell  and  Haley.  Haley  is  much  better.  His 
family  are  seventy  or  eighty  miles  above  Cairo.  Captain 
McConnell  has  received  his  commission  as  Colonel  of  the 
71st  Ohio.  The  officers  of  the  83d  have  their  commis 
sions  also. 

"Major  Bond's  expedition  returned  with  between 
fifty  and  one  hundred  horses  and  mules." 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  llth,  1863. — It  has  rained 
considerably  lately.  The  river  is  rising.  There  are  five 
boats  here  tonight.  They  go  up  the  river  tomorrow 
morning.  I  send  a  guard  of  three  companies  under  com 
mand  of  Captain  Randall  with  them  to  Clarksville.  They 
will  escort  back  the  Paymaster,  who  is  there.  I  send  the 


102  REMINISCENCES 

:Nevada  to  bring  them  down.  We  shall  be  glad  to  see 
the  Paymaster. 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  12,  1863.— Nothing  but  the 
regular  routine  has  transpired  today.  There  has  been 
no  chance  to  send  off  a  mail  for  several  days.  I  will  send 
the  Nevada  down  when  she  returns  from  Clarksville. 
There  are  several  boats  on  the  shoals  below  and  we  have 
to  stop  all  the  boats  from  above  to  take  part  of  their 
cargoes. 

"We  have  not  had  any  bushwhacking  about  us  since 
I  have  been  in  command,  and  I  do  not  expect  much  of 
it.  I  tell  the  citizens  that  they  can  have  the  burden  of 
a  military  occupation  of  their  country  very  light  or  they 
can  have  it  very  heavy,  just  as  they  please.  They  desire 
to  take  it  light. 

"Captain  Morrell  is  quite  feeble  and  has  asked  for 
leave  of  absence.  He  will  probably  get  it." 

"Port  Donelson,  June  13,  1863.— None  but  light- 
draught  boats  can  go  up  the  river  now,  and  not  many 
of  them. 

"I  have  had  a  small  bed  put  in  my  room  for  the  Pay 
master  to  occupy.  I  hear  of  Hinson's  gang,  forty  strong, 
three  miles  from  the  rolling  mill,  but  having  no  cavalry, 
I  can  not  pursue  him.  He  has  not  molested  us  yet." 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  14,  1863.— We  have  had  a 
very  quiet  day.  It  really  seemed  like  Sunday  at  home. 

"I  heard  of  Hinson  this  afternoon  with  his  gang 
four  miles  from  here,  near  the  Fort  Henry  road.  I  sent 
Colonel  McConnell  with  nine  companies  to  drive  him 
out.  The  troops  take  different  routes.  I  have  but  little 
hope  of  overhauling  him  with  infantry. 

"The  river  is  falling  rapidly.  There  are  several 
boats  here,  \vhich  I  propose  to  send  up  in  the  morning, 
and  they  are  probably  the  last  that  will  go  up  this  sea 
son. 

"Companies  E,  C  and  H  are  out  with  Colonel  Me- 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  103 

Connell.     Captain  Knilans  is  in  very  poor  health  and 
has  today  applied  for  a  leave  of  absence. 

"We  are  pushing  the  works  here  as  fast  as  possible, 
and  I  think  I  shall  get  everything  in  good  shape  by  the 
first  of  August;  and  I  have  strong  hopes  that  I  shall 
then  be  able  to  obtain  a  leave  of  absence." 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  15,  1863. — I  have  been  very 
busy  all  the  morning  getting  off  a  fleet  of  boats  up  the 
river.  Companies  A  and  K  go  as  guards.  The  Major 
(Bigney)  started  for  Nashville  for  horse  equipments  for 
mounted  infantry.  Colonel  McConnelFs  expedition 
found  nothing  of  the  enemy. 

"I  have  taken  an  inventory  of  the  women  and  chil 
dren  in  camp,  as  you  requested  me  to  do.  The  83d  Il 
linois  has  73,  the  13th  Wisconsin  has  21,  the  71st  Ohio 
but  one,  the  Batteries  15 — total  110.  Major  Haines  is 
paying  the  13th  today,  and  when  the  command  is  paid  a 
large  number  of  these  women  and  children  will  leave. 

"I  send  you  a  letter  that  I  secured  from  a  prisoner 
here  who  supposes  that  he  is  under  sentence  of  death. 
He  is  a  soldier  in  Flood's  Battery  and  was  tried  by  the 
last  Court- Martial  for  murdering  a  negro  and  for 
forcing  a  safeguard.  I  thought  it  would  interest  you." 

The  letter  is  as  follows : 

In  Prison,  June  13,  1863. 
Colonel  Lyon. 

Dear  Sir :  I  understand  that  my  sentence 
for  the  violation  of  the  law  is  death.  I  am  sorry 
that  I  ever  acted  in  the  manner  that  I  did.  I 
was  drunk  when  I  committed  the  horrible  deed 
for  which  I  am  condemned  to  die,  and  I  hope 
that  you  wTill  intercede  in  my  behalf — not  for 


104  REMINISCENCES 

my  sake  alone,  but  for  the  sake  of  my  wife  and 
little  child  and  my  aged  old  mother,  who  taught 
me  to  lead  a  different  life  from  this.  I  hope  you 
will  do  something  for  me.  You  perhaps  know  my 
situation.  I  will  do  better  in  the  future,  lead  a 
different  life  and  try  and  live  a  better  man.  I 
will  attend  to  all  my  duties  punctually  and 
faithfully. 

I  have  already  been  in  prison  once  five 
months  and  suffered  severe  punishment. 

To  appeal  to  our  fellow  man  for  aid  is 
natural  in  times  of  need,  it  is  inherent  in  us  to 
do  so — wre  do  it  for  help — for  aid  and  assist 
ance.  Colonel,  I  know  that  you  are  a  man  of 
good  feeling — you  must  understand  the  nature 
of  man.  We  are  all  frail  beings — all  liable  at 
times  more  or  less  to  err  and  be  led  astray.  We 
can't  see  danger  and  ruin  until  it  is  upon  us— 
and  for  the  sake  of  humanity  do  something  for 
me  before  it  is  too  late. 

I  hope  all  this  will  not  be  in  vain,  but  that 
my  life  will  be  spared. 

Colonel,  when  you  read  this,  think  of  my 
poor,  helpless  wife  and  child  that  will  be  left 
alone  in  the  world  with  no  one  to  look  after 
them  and  provide  for  their  wants.  It  is  true 
that  drunkenness  is  no  excuse,  but  I  would  of 
(have)  never  committed  the  deed  if  I  had  been 
sober.  I  was  not  conscious  of  the  deed  when  I 
committed  it;  if  I  had  been  I  would  not  have 
done  it.  I  know  there  is  an  eternity — a  final 
reckoning  for  us  all — and  I  hope  I  will  be  re 
leased  this  time — and  will  never  be  guilty 
again. 

Your  obdt.  servt, 

JAMES  LITTLE. 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  105 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  16,  1863. — I  wonder  what 
Canadian  Secesh  think  now  of  our  ability  to  whip  the 
South.  We  had  news  last  night  that  Port  Hudson  with 
12,000  had  surrendered  to  Banks.  If  this  is  true  the 
rebels  have  lost  at  least  75,000  men  within  two  weeks — 
besides  those  strongholds,  Vicksburg  and  Port  Hudson. 

"Just  now  we  are  watching  Morgan's  course  in  In 
diana  with  a  good  deal  of  interest,  and  some  satisfac 
tion.  He  has  gone  right  into  the  worst  Copperhead  hole 
in  the  North  and  is  teaching  them,  just  as  Lee  taught  the 
same  class  in  Pennsylvania,  that  they  have  a  personal 
interest  in  this  war.  Of  course,  he  can  not  get  out  of 
there  without  being  badly  damaged. 

"You  know  how  common  it  is  for  me  to  get  word 
that  a  big  force  is  just  ready  to  pounce  upon  me,  and  yet 
it  don't  worry  me  much,  not  half  as  badly  as  it  once  did. 
Less  than  a  week  ago  Colonel  Bruce  telegraphed  me 
that  Forrest  was  near  Fort  Heiman,  advancing  on  Fort 
Donelson.  I  thought  I  knew  better  and  was  not  at  all 
disquieted. 

"Minerva  was  quite  sick  again,  but  is  better.  Jerry 
says,  'She  is  a  right  smart  peart er  this  morning'.  Jerry 
came  in  this  morning  before  I  was  up,  in  high  spirits. 
The  Paymaster  left  in  the  night.  Says  Jerry,  'Colonel, 
that  Major  called  me  up  before  he  left  and  gave  me  two 
dollars.  He  is  a  right  smart  man.  He  is  a  sensible  man. 
Oh,  he's  got  a  power  of  sense,  that  Major  has !'  So  much 
for  Jerry. 

"I  have  a  beauty  of  a  horse,  a  roan,  gentle,  quiet, 
easy  under  the  saddle  and  afraid  of  nothing.  He  be 
longs  to  the  Government,  but  I  shall  have  him  appraised 
and  buy  him. 

"Asboth  has  taken  the  troops  away  from  Heiman 
and  sent  them  to  Paducah.  He  says  Paducah  is  threat 
ened.  It  is  no  doubt  a  Columbus  scare." 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  19,  1863.— I  received  official 


106  REMINISCENCES 

communications  yesterday  from  the  rebel  General  For 
rest,  threatening  to  retaliate  on  prisoners  in  his  hands 
if  we  did  not  treat  Hinson  and  some  other  prisoners  we 
have  as  prisoners  of  war.  What  a  glorious  chance  to 
write  him  a  spread-eagle,  highfalutin  letter  in  reply, 
and  get  into  the  newspaper !  I  finally  closed  my  eyes  to 
all  this  sensational  newspaper  glory  and  sent  the  com 
munication  to  headquarters  without  replying  to  General 
Forrest  at  all. 

"Things  look  blue.  The  position  of  affairs  at  Vicks- 
burg  is  full  of  peril.  There  is  no  hope  at  present  in 
Virginia  that  I  can  see  that  any  substantial  progress 
will  be  made  there.  The  rebels  march  with  perfect  im 
punity  into  the  heart  of  Pennsylvania,  and  there  is  none 
tc  molest  or  make  them  afraid,  and  all  this  because  Con 
gress  fooled  away  four  months  of  precious  time  before 
they  passed  the  Conscription  Act,  and  nearly  four 
months  more  have  passed  and  no  men  are  called  out 
under  it.  Much  of  the  time  has  been  consumed  in  allow 
ing  politicians  to  quarrel  over  the  appointments  of  of 
ficers  under  the  law.  Half  a  million  more  men  could 
now  have  been  in  the  field  had  Congress  and  the  Admin 
istration  done  their  duty,  and  we  would  today  be  safe 
at  every  point ;  but  nothing  has  been  done  and  disaster 
and  defeat  everywhere  stare  us  in  the  face.  With  bloody 
graves  yawning  at  our  feet,  we  can  only  bow  our  heads 
and  exclaim  in  bitterness  of  spirit:  'How  long,  O  Lord, 
how  long !' 

"You  will  think  I  have  the  blues.  Not  so.  I  think 
I  see  disaster  ahead  that  will  lengthen  the  war.  I  have 
DO  doubt  of  our  ultimate  triumph." 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  21,  1863.— I  fear  I  wrote  the 
last  time  in  rather  a  depressing  vein,  but  the  news  is 
much  better  now,  so  I  feel  much  better. 

"Captain  Kingman  is  detailed  to  take  home  money 
for  our  regiment.  He  is  now  out  on  an  expedition.  His 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  107 

brother,  Lieut.  Kingman,  of  the  22d,  is  here ;  also  Lieut. 
Booth,  of  the  same  regiment,  a  relative  of  Mrs.  Wood 
man.  The  regiment  is  at  Nashville,  under  orders  to  go 
back  to  Franklin.  They  speak  in  the  highest  terms  of 
Captains  May  and  Mead,  and  well  they  can,  for  no 
braver  or  better  boys  than  they  live. 

"I  spend  the  whole  day  at  headquarters,  and  find 
plenty  of  occupation.  Time  passes  more  rapidly  than  it 
would  were  I  unoccupied.  I  have  been  ordered  to  re 
move  obstructions  from  the  river  at  Line  Island,  twenty 
miles  below  here,  and  at  Ingraham  Shoals  near  Eddy- 
ville.  I  sent  Captain  Ruger  and  Lieut.  Balis  and  Lieut. 
Lamoreau  to  Line  Island  yesterday  to  make  an  examina 
tion,  and  I  think  I  will  go  myself  to  Eddyville  on  the 
same  business  in  a  few  days.  These  obstructions  are 
barges  sunk  in  the  river  by  Floyd  when  the  rebels  had 
possession  in  1861. " 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  28,  1863.— It  has  rained 
copiously  four  or  five  days  and  is  still  raining.  The 
river  has  risen  fifteen  feet  or  more  and  is  still  rising  rap 
idly.  We  are  almost  sure  of  a  fair  stage  of  water  for 
several  weeks;  which  is,  you  know,  a  great  relief  to  us. 

"Major  Bigney  returned  last  night  from  Nashville 
and  Murfreesboro  with  saddles,  equipments  and  arms 
for  our  mounted  infantry.  He  brings  news  that  General 
Rosecrans'  army  is  advancing  and  that  they  have  occu 
pied  Shelbyville  without  opposition,  Bragg  having  left. 
Great  events  seem  to  be  in  progress  East  and  West,  the 
result  of  which  none  can  foretell. 

"Our  part  of  the  program  seems  to  be  to  hold  Fort 
Donelson.  The  retreat  of  Bragg's  army  renders  it  highly 
improbable  that  we  shall  be  attacked  here  this  summer — 
if  ever. 

"Captain  Noyes  went  to  Louisville  with  the  Pay 
master.  He  saw  Colonel  Lowe  on  Friday,  en  route  for 
his  command,  which  consists  of  five  regiments  of  cav- 


108  REMINISCENCES; 

airy.  His  health  is  improved.  He  told  Captain  Noyes 
that  he  intended  to  telegraph  to  me  confidentially  that 
if  I  desired  to  go  to  the  front  he  could  get  me  there.  The 
Captain  told  him  that  I  had  been  to  the  front  and  hav 
ing  seen  the  elephant  he  did  not  think  I  was  anxious  to 
see  him  again.  The  movement  of  the  army,  however, 
renders  any  immediate  change  in  our  condition  highly 
improbable. 

"The  Reserve  Corps,  embracing  all  the  troops  left 
by  General  Rosecrans,  is  under  command  of  Major-Gen- 
eral  Gordon  Granger,  and  he  may  refuse  to  give  me 
leave  of  absence.  I  think  I  could  have  gotten  it  from 
General  Rosecrans  without  difficulty.  This  Reserve 
Corps  is  organized  into  divisions  and  brigades.  Ours  is 
the  Third  Division,  commanded  by  Brigadier-General  R. 
S.  Granger,  who  now  commands  at  Nashville. 

"The  troops  here  and  at  Clarksville  are  the  1st 
Brigade  of  the  Third  Division.  The  ranking  officer  now 
is  Colonel  Bruce,  who  will  command  the  brigade,  I  sup 
pose  ;  but  as  yet  he  has  not  assumed  the  command.  This 
arrangement  will  not  interfere  with  my  authority  here 
as  the  commander  of  this  post,  it  being  only  for  the  pur 
poses  of  organization. 

"The  river  is  turbid  and  full  of  drift  wood.  Busi 
ness  will  be  lively  on  it  while  the  high  water  lasts." 

"Fort  Donelson,  June  30, 1863. — Yesterday  noon  we 
had  a.  terrific  thunder  storm.  The  building  occupied 
by  Lieut.  Becker,  of  the  artillery,  in  which  was  a  large 
quantity  of  powder  and  loaded  shell,  was  struck  with 
lightning,  the  fluid  tearing  a  gun  to  pieces  within  six 
inches  of  several  barrels  of  powder.  Had  the  powder 
ignited,  the  loss  of  life  would  have  been  fearful,  as  it 
is  right  in  the  midst  of  our  camp.  The  escape  was  al 
most  miraculous.  Several  men  belonging  to  Flood's 
Battery  were  knocked  over,  and  one  is  seriously  in 
jured.  He  will  probably  lose  his  eyesight.  Our  maga- 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  109 

zine  is  now  nearly  done  and  we  shall  very  soon  have  all 
our  ammunition  in  it. 

"The  troops  at  Fort  Heiman  have  had  a  reverse. 
Lieut. Colonel  Henry,  the  commander,  took  about  300  of 
his  cavalry — nearly  all  he  had — about  a  week  ago,  and 
went  out  on  a  scout.  He  got  beyond  Lexington,  70  or  80 
miles  from  Fort  Heiman,  when  he  was  attacked  by  a 
large  force  of  rebels  and  his  command  was  nearly  all 
killed  or  captured.  The  Lieut. -Colonel  of  the  4th  Mis 
souri  Cavalry  was  killed,  and  Lieut-Colonel  Henry 
probably  captured.  Of  course,  when  the  remnant  of  the 
force  at  Fort  Heiman  heard  of  it  they  had  a  big  scare 
and  thought  the  rebels  would  be  right  on  them.  I  sent 
Colonel  McConnell  over  there  Tuesday  night  with  six 
hundred  men  and  four  pieces  of  artillery ;  but  the  scouts 
found  no  enemy  near  them,  and  the  Colonel  is  marching 
back  now,  I  suppose.  How  natural  all  this  comes  to  the 
13th,  march,  march,  march — and  no  fight!  Aren't  you 
sorry  ? 

"The  guerillas  don't  trouble  us  any,  although  we 
hear  of  them  twenty,  thirty  and  forty  miles  off.  As 
they  are  living  on  their  friends  I  don't  chase  them.  The 
rebel  citizens  are  getting  very  sick  of  these  fellows  and 
beg  us  to  send  out  forces  after  them.  I  tell  them  that 
they  are  only  reaping  the  bitter  fruits  of  their  own  folly, 
for  they  all  encouraged  the  organization  of  these  gangs." 

"Fort  Donelson,  July  2,  1863. — We  are  mounting 
our  infantry  under  command  of  Major  Bigney.  He 
takes  great  interest  in  it.  There  are  to  be  five  compan 
ies  of  forty  men  each.  Fort  Heiman  is  reoccupied  by 
some  of  General  Grant's  command." 

"Fort  Donelson,  July  13,  1863.— John  Morgan  is 
making  a  raid  in  Indiana  and  I  am  glad  of  it.  I  should 
like  to  know  how  he  will  get  out.  We  thought  before  he 
went  in  there  that  perhaps  he  would  give  us  a  call,  and 
got  ready  for  him. 


110  REMINISCENCES 

"Tilings  look  well  now — Vicksburg  captured;  Lee 
whipped  and  driven  back,  and  probably  ruined  (Gettys 
burg)  ;  Bragg  retreating  before  Rosecrans;  and  Price 
whipped  in  Missouri.  This  rebellion  is  to  be  crushed 
out,  and  then  we  will  pay  our  respects  to  those  who  have 
been  hostile  to  us  and  have  sought  to  cripple  us  in  the 
hour  of  our  deep  adversity.  'For  every  insult  you  offer 
us,  for  every  hostile  act  you  commit  against  us,  you  will 
atone  in  blood  and  tears/ 

"The  71st  Ohio  has  gone  to  Gallatin,  about  22  miles 
northeast  of  Nashville.  Major  Bigney  is  appointed  Di 
vision  Inspector,  and  will  be  absent  the  most  of  the  time 
this  summer.  I  did  not  make  the  order  turning  the 
women  out  of  camp." 

"Fort  Donelson,  July  20,  1863.— A  few  days  ago 
Hinson  and  three  others,  one  of  whom  was  a  soldier  sen 
tenced  to  be  shot,  escaped  from  the  guard-house.  I  did 
not  want  them  to  escape,  of  course,  but  it  relieves  me 
from  hanging  one  of  them  and  shooting  the  other.  It  is 
quite  a  relief,  too,  I  can  assure  you. 

"The  health  of  the  troops  is  improving.  We  get 
large  quantities  of  blackberries,  and  the  effect  of  their 
free  use  is  most  excellent  on  the  health  of  the  men. 

"The  officers  elected  a  chaplain  the  other  day,  Rev. 
Mr.  Foote,  of  Rock  county.  Two  of  Flood's  Battery 
were  captured  by  guerillas  on  Saturday.  They  were  out 
side  the  lines,  drunk.  It  is  reported  that  they  have  been 
murdered,  but  I  can  not  believe  it.  They  were  worthless 
fellows." 

"Fort  Donelson,  July  25,  1863.— I  fear  I  can  not 
get  a  leave  of  absence  at  all,  as  the  orders  are  very  strict 
now,  and  none  are  granted  except  to  save  life  or  prevent 
permanent  disability.  It  is  a  sore  disappointment,  but 
this  I  suppose  is  one — and  not  the  least,  either — of  the 
sacrifices  that  I  am  called  upon  to  make  in  this  war. 

"I  see  no  signs  of  our  being  moved  from  here,  yet 


OP  THE  CIVIL  WAR  111 

there  may  be  some  change  of  program  towards  fall.  Of 
course,  we  do  not  know  anything  about  our  future  move 
ments." 

"Fort  Donelson,  July  28,  1863.— Adjutant  Ruger 
has  his  commission  and  will  leave  us  very  soon  for  the 
Potomac.  I  mean  to  have  Scott  commissioned  as  Adju 
tant.  Of  course,  I  shall  make  him  Post  Adjutant  if  he 
is  commissioned  Regimental  Adjutant. 

"Colonel  Bruce  was  here  on  Saturday  with  his  staff. 
I  like  him  very  much  and  think  we  will  get  along  first- 
rate." 

"Fort  Donelson,  August  3,  1863. — I  have  finally  ap 
plied  for  a  leave  of  absence.  I  have  but  little  hope  of 
getting  it.  If  granted,  I  can  not  go  to  Racine  before 
the  20th. 

"Mounted  infantry  from  Clarksville  were  here  on 
Thursday,  and  on  their  way  home  were  fired  into  by 
guerillas  in  ambush  about  eight  miles  from  here,  and 
five  of  them  badly  wounded.  One  has  since  died  and  an 
other  will  die.  One  of  my  companies,  commanded  by 
Hollister,  was  in  that  section  and  went  after  them,  driv 
ing  them  several  miles." 

"Fort  Donelson,  Aug.  7,  1863. — I  am  going  to 
Clarksville  on  the  first  boat,  to  consult  with  Colonel 
Bruce  about  an  expedition  from  both  places  through 
the  country  to  Waverly.  I  had  to  obtain  leave  from 
Nashville  before  I  could  go — so  strict  are  the  orders  on 
this  subject. 

"The  guerillas  destroyed  the  telegraph  office  night 
before  last  at  Fort  Henry.  There  are  no  troops  there 
now.  Our  mounted  infantry  chased  them  ten  miles,  but 
failed  to  catch  them." 

"Fort  Donelson,  Aug.  15,  1863. — We  are  scouting 
and  chasing  guerillas  pretty  lively  now.  A  party  of 
mounted  infantry,  which  I  sent  out  last  Saturday,  had 


112  REMINISCENCES 

several  skirmishes  with  them;  wounded  some  of  them 
and  made  some  captures.  None  of  our  men  were  hurt. 
I  sent  out  a  whole  battalion  for  an  extensive  scout." 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR 


113 


uring  this  time  Colonel  Lyon  had  a 
leave  of  absence  and  went  home  for  a 
visit  of  two  or  three  weeks.  Lieuten 
ant-Colonel  Chapman  had  command 
of  the  regiment  during  his  absence, 
and  Colonel  Smith,  of  the  83d  Illinois, 
had  command  of  the  post.  During 
his  absence  the  regiment  was  ordered 
to  Columbia. 

"Nashville,  Tenn.,  Tuesday  a.  m.,  Sept.  10,  1863.— 
Here  I  am,  safe,  sound  and  hearty,  writing  this  letter  in 
Major  Bigney's  private  room,  where  I  am  domiciled  for 
the  present. 

"I  arrived  at  Chicago  'by  due  course  of  mail'  Mon 
day  night,  and  found  there  Colonel  Robbins,  Captains 
Wolf  and  Redfield,  and  Lieut.  Williams,  of  the  8th,  who 
were  on  their  way  home.  Took  the  Cincinnati  Air  Line 
R.  R.  for  Louisville  at  8 :30  p.  m.  Went  to  bed,  and  got 
up  in  the  morning  at  Indianapolis;  breakfasted  and 
moved  on.  Arrived  at  Louisville  at  1  p.  m. ;  remained 
there  until  next  morning.  Left  at  8  o'clock,  and  arrived 
here  at  7  last  evening. 

"I  met  Lieut,  Boone,  Colonel  Bruce's  Adjutant,  at 
Louisville,  who  informed  me  that  the  13th  had  been  or 
dered  from  Columbia  to  Larkinsville,  in  Alabama.  The 
regiment  left  Columbia  last  Sunday  with  the  28th  Ken 
tucky,  formerly  at  Clarksville.  Larkinsville  is  on  the 
Memphis  and  Charleston  R.  R.,  about  twenty  miles  south 
west  of  Stevenson,  where  the  railroad,  running  south 
from  Nashville,  intersects  the  M.  &  C.  R.  R.,  and  between 
Stevenson  and  Huntsville.  There  is,  of  course,  railroad 
communication  all  the  way  there.  It  is  a  few  miles  north 
of  the  Tennessee  river. 

"Now  that  Chattanooga  is  evacuated  by  the  Confed 
erates,  we  probably  will  remain  for  some  time  in  that 


114  REMINISCENCES 

vicinity.  The  regiment  will  probaably  not  reach  there 
before  Sunday,  and  I  shall  not  leave  here  until  Saturday 
morning,  unless  I  conclude  to  go  down  to  Murfreesboro 
tomorrow  and  spend  a  day  with  the  22d  Wisconsin.  The 
Major  goes  to  Larkinsville  with  me  on  a  tour  of  inspec 
tion.  He  is  well  and  in  good  spirits,  and  does  everything 
in  his  power  to  make  me  comfortable.  The  route  yester 
day  was  through  a  very  interesting  country,  indeed. 
Along  it  have  been  fought  several  battles  during  the 
war.  A  part  of  the  way  the  country  is  mountainous, 
and  the  road  runs  through  several  tunnels,  one  seven- 
eights  of  a  mile  long.  We  passed  within  a  few  miles  of 
the  great  mammoth  cave. 

"About  your  coming,  there  is  a  late  order  that  no 
citizen  can  pass  Louisville  for  Nashville  and  south,  with 
out  a  permit  from  Major-General  Granger;  and  I  learn 
that  these  permits  are  only  given  to  wives  of  officers  and 
soldiers  who  are  sick  and  need  the  attention  and  care  of 
their  wives.  That  can  all  be  managed,  I  think,  when  we 
get  in  some  safe  place  with  a  reasonable  prospect  of  stay 
ing  awhile.  I  think  there  is  no  chance  for  much  fighting 
where  we  go — except  bushwhacking. 

"The  regiment  had  some  skirmishing  on  its  march  to 
Columbia,  and  I  hear  had  one  man  killed.  I  don't  know 
who  it  was — did  not  get  particulars.  Colonel  Chapman 
allowed  136  men  to  go  by  way  of  Nashville,  100  of  whom 
were  able  to  march  with  the  regiment.  They  were  all 
sent  on  to  Columbia  (Jerry  and  Minerva  with  them), 
except  some  twenty  left  here  in  hospital,  mostly  from 
Company  D.  Dr.  Evans  brought  here  about  six  tons  of 
old  truck,  which  he  doubtless  had  to  leave  at  Columbia. 
How  he  must  have  groaned.  None  of  the  regiment  are 
left  at  Fort  Donelson  except  Captain  Ruger  and  the 
Quartermaster.  I  believe  Captain  Woodman  went  as  far 
as  Evansville  with  his  wife  on  her  way  home.  He  has 
gone  on  to  the  regiment." 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  115 

" Stevenson,  Ala.,  Sept.  13,  1863. — I  arrived  here 
last  evening  in  company  with  Major  Bigney,  and  we  are 
waiting  for  a  train  to  Larkinsville,  which  is  twenty-four 
miles  southwest  of  here  on  the  Charleston  &  Memphis 
K.  B. 

"Dr.  Evans  came  here  last  night  with  a  man  from 
Company  P,  who  is  badly  wounded  in  the  leg  by  the 
accidental  discharge  of  a  gun.  He  reports  the  regiment 
well,  that  they  will  get  to  Larkinsville  this  afternoon, 
and  that  Jerry  and  Minerva  are  with  them  all  right. 

"I  went  down  to  Murfreesboro  on  Friday  and 
stayed  there  until  yesterday.  Saw  Colonel  Lowe,  Dr. 
Wise,  Adjutant  Langdon  and  many  others  of  the  5th 
Iowa.  The  regiment  has  been  ordered  to  McMinnville. 
I  spent  some  time  with  the  22d  and  saw  many  of  my 
acquaintances  there.  Lieut, -Colonel  Bloodgood  is  being 
tried  by  a  Court-Martial.  I  was  called  in  as  a  witness  and 
testified  to  his  previous  good  character  as  a  soldier. 

"From  Nashville  here  is  113  miles,  and  from  Louis 
ville  to  Nashville  185  miles,  I  think.  The  railroad  from 
Nashville  here  runs  through  a  fine  country  generally, 
until  within  twenty-five  miles,  where  it  strikes  a  rugged 
chain  of  mountains,  passing  through  it  for  many  miles. 
The  road  passes  through  a  very  long  tunnel,  the  longest 
I  ever  passed  through.  The  scenery  is  very  grand.  The 
mountains  are  all  about  us  here,  not  such  as  I  was  famil 
iar  with  in  my  boyhood,  but  still  very  respectable  moun 
tains. 

"There  is  a  report,  probably  true,  that  General 
Thomas'  corps  had  a  battle  yesterday  with  Bragg  some 
where  south  of  Chattanooga ;  but  with  what  results  we 
do  not  know. 

"It  is  hard  to  guess  anything  about  our  future 
movements,  but  I  do  not  think  we  shall  be  sent  across  the 
Tennessee  river,  unless  General  Rosecrans  meets  a  check 
and  needs  reinforcements.  The  limits  of  the  District  of 


116  REMINISCENCES 

the  Cumberland,  which  is  held,  you  know,  by  the  'Re 
serve  Corps/  under  command  of  Major-General  Gordon 
Granger,  is  extended  to  the  Tennessee  river.  Some  cav 
alry  has  been  ordered  from  here  to  Larkinsville,  and 
two  of  my  companies,  B  and  G,  are  stationed  ten  miles 
west  of  there  to  guard  a  railroad  bridge.  The  regiment 
had  to  throw  away  lots  of  traps  at  Columbia  for  want 
of  transportation.  I  do  not  know  how  much  or  what 
articles  of  mine  were  abandoned.  The  regiment  was 
reduced  to  nine  teams. 

"I  am  very  glad  that  I  went  North  when  I  did  and 
had  so  delightful  a  visit.  My  only  regret  is  that  I  was 
not  with  the  boys  in  their  long  march,  but  they  got  along 
very  well,  as  far  as  I  can  hear. 

"I  do  not  give  up  the  idea  of  having  you  come  down 
and  spend  the  winter  with  me.  When  this  campaign  is 
over,  as  it  will  be  in  a  few  weeks  without  doubt,  the  army 
will  probably  remain  stationary  for  some  time. 

"Colonel  Bruce  is  relieved  from  the  command  of  the 
First  Brigade  and  sent  to  his  regiment.  I  presume  now 
that  we  are  moved  so  far  oft'  that  there  will  be  a  re 
organization  of  the  brigade.  I  hope  that  I  shall  have  no 
command  but  my  own  regiment." 

"Stevenson,  Wednesday,  Sept.  16. — I  did  not  go 
to  Larkinsville,  as  I  expected  to,  for  the  reason  that  I 
learned  that  the  regiment  was  ordered  here.  It  arrived, 
except  B  and  G,  left  to  guard  a  bridge.  The  men  gave  me 
some  rousing  cheers  and  appeared  very  glad  to  see  me. 

"We  are  in  camp  in  a  very  pleasant  spot,  about  one 
mile  from  the  town.  We  have  a  clean  place,  and  most 
excellent  water.  The  men  were  very  weary  and  footsore, 
of  course,  after  their  march  of  275  miles,  but  in  excellent 
spirits.  This  movement  is  a  fine  thing  for  us.  Mrs. 
Moulton  and  Minerva  rode  in  a  carriage  they  picked  up 
on  the  road,  and  got  along  first-rate.  They  brought  along 
twice  as  many  traps  as  I  should  had  I  been  there.  The 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  117 

march  from  Columbia  was  conducted  under  command 
of  Colonel  Boone,  28th  Kentucky.  I  rank  him  and  I 
shall  have  command  of  both  regiments.  General  Mor 
gan,  of  the  Second  Division  Reserve  Corps,  is  in  com 
mand  here,  but  as  we  belong  to  another  division  he  does 
not  assume  very  much  jurisdiction  over  us. 

"I  live  in  a  tent,  and  nobody  messes  with  me  except 
Johnny,  my  orderly,  although  the  Quartermaster  will 
be  here  in  a  few  days.  Scott  has  received  his  commis 
sion  as  Adjutant,  and  is  happy. 

"We  hear  nothing  from  the  front,  although  we  are 
sc  very  near  there.  The  country  is  very  destitute,  and 
we  get  little  besides  regular  rations  on  which  to  live. 
We  get  along  just  as  well  as  though  we  had  more  delica 
cies.  I  am  very  busy  getting  the  regiment  in  shape." 

"Stevenson,  Sunday,  Sept.  20,  1863.— There  is  no 
change  in  our  condition  since  I  wrote  you  last.  Reports 
come  to  us  that  a  battle  is  being  fought  between  Rose- 
crans  and  Bragg,  but  you  will  know  all  about  it  before 
this  reaches  you.  If  we  win  a  decided  victory  I  think  the 
fighting  is  over  in  this  section  of  the  country. 

"Captain  Blake  returned  this  morning.  He  brings 
information  that  the  102d  Ohio  is  ordered  here  from 
Clarksville,  and  that  five  companies  of  the  83d  are 
ordered  to  Clarksville.  So  the  83d  seems  to  be  elected 
for  the  Cumberland.  I  much  prefer  being  at  or  near  the 
front.  The  men  feel  better  and  are  better  soldiers ;  and 
then  it  is  almost  a  disgrace  to  be  left  so  far  in  the  rear 
as  Donelson  and  Clarksville  now  are. 

"Our  dishes  were  nearly  all  lost.  The  sweet  corn 
comes  very  convenient.  It  is  difficult  to  get  anything  to 
eat  except  rations.  I  succeeded  in  getting  a  half -bushel 
of  potatoes,  a  few  eggs  and  a  few  chickens.  We  can  get 
very  good  butter  at  fifty  cents  per  pound.  I  am  very 
hearty  and  bacon  tastes  good,  so  I  shall  not  starve,  I 
reckon. 


118  REMINISCENCES 

"The  boys  found  quantities  of  lumber  in  the  old 
camps  about  us,  and  they  are  getting  well  fixed  up.  To 
go  through  the  camp  you  would  think  they  had  been 
here  a  month,  from  the  amount  of  work  done.  I  have  a 
good-sized  tent,  with  a  floor,  a  bunk,  a  table,  two  stools 
and  a  camp  chair — a  nice  folding  one,  which  Lieutenant 
Button  gave  me ;  and  I  have  straw  to  sleep  on  and  plenty 
of  bedding.  So  you  see  I  live  very  luxuriously.  Jerry 
and  Minerva  live  in  the  rear  of  my  tent,  under  the  fly, 
and  have  a  sort  of  board  fence  which  encloses  my  dining 
room  and  their  quarters.  There  is  an  arbor  built  over 
the  whole,  and,  in  fact,  over  all  the  tents  in  the  camp. 
These  arbors  were  put  up  by  some  other  regiment." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Sept.  21,  1863.— Just  as  I  closed 
my  letter  to  you  yesterday,  I  received  an  order  to  take 
command  of  this  post,  and  with  the  13th  relieve  the  regi 
ment  that  was  doing  provost  guard  duty  here.  So  I 
found  myself  up  to  my  eyes  in  business  immediately.  I 
relieved  Lieut. -Colonel  Cahill,  of  the  16th  Illinois,  whose 
regiment  has  gone  to  Bridgeport.  I  moved  over  this 
morning  and  have  a  house  with  plenty  of  room  for  head 
quarters.  I  wish  you  were  here  to  enjoy  it  with  me.  The 
regiment  is  moving  into  town  today.  There  is  a  great 
deal  of  work  at  this  post. 

"There  is  doubtless  a  terrible  battle  raging  some 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles  south  of  Chattanooga  [battle  of 
Chicamaugal,  but  we  can  not  get  any  definite  intelli 
gence  as  to  how  it  is  going.  We  hear  many  rumors,  some 
of  success  and  some  of  disaster,  but  nothing  reliable. 
This  is  the  third  day  of  the  fight.  The  cannonading  can 
be  heard  at  Bridgeport,  and  Lieut.  Warren  told  me  that 
he  heard  the  firing  yesterday  morning  distinctly  from  a 
little  east  of  this  place.  You  may  hear  of  this  battle  be 
fore  we  do.  Keep  up  good  spirits,  for  the  usual  luck  of 
the  13th  still  clings  to  us." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Wed.,   Sept.   23,   1863.— I   write 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  119 

often  to  you,  for  I  know  how  anxious  you  are  to  hear 
from  me,  situated  as  we  are  so  near  the  scene  of  the  ter 
rible  battles  that  are  raging  day  after  day  at  the  front. 
I  am  well,  but  have  a  great  deal  of  work  to  do.  This  is 
the  nearest  post  to  the  front,  and  everything  going  to 
or  from  the  army  passes  through  here.  Tonight  1,400 
prisoners  and  several  hundred  of  our  wounded  came  in, 
all  bound  farther  North.  All  this  adds  to  my  labors.  I 
see  no  reason  to  believe  that  we  shall  be  sent  forward 
unless  the  emergency  is  very  great.  None  of  our  division 
are  in  the  fights.  Those  who  came  in  from  the  front  all 
feel  confident  that  General  Rosecrans  can  hold  his  own, 
but  he  is  doubtless  largely  outnumbered  and  we  can  but 
feel  the  greatest  solicitude  for  the  result. 

"The  carnage  has  been  fearful.  We  all  feel  ready  to 
go  whenever  we  may  be  ordered  and  to  do  our  duty  in 
this  time  of  peril,  although  the  fate  of  war  may  termin 
ate  our  earthly  career.  Let  us  trust  all  these  things  to 
our  Heavenly  Father,  who  will  order  everything  wisely 
and  well.  You  can  have  no  idea  of  the  suffering  of  the 
people  here.  Absolute  starvation  stares  them  in  the 
face;  and  what  makes  it  more  painful  is  the  fact  that  a 
majority  of  them  are  loyal.  It  would  make  your  blood 
run  cold  to  hear  of  the  outrages  that  have  been  com 
mitted  upon  them  by  the  rebels  before  our  army  came 
here.  Oh,  my  dear,  how  sincerely  do  I  thank  God  that 
you  do  not  feel  this  war — only  in  my  absence ;  that  I  can 
bear  all  the  suffering  and  peril  of  it  without  your  being 
compelled  to  share  them  with  me.  Colonel  Heg  is  dead 
and  his  body  is  on  the  way  home.  He  was  mortally 
Avounded  on  Saturday  last.  [He  was  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Chicamauga.]  He  was  a  noble-hearted,  true  man,  and 
a  brave  and  useful  officer.  His  loss  is  a  calamity." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Sept,  25,  1863.— We  are  still  here 
without  any  change  in  our  situation,  and  without  any 
definite  knowledge  of  what  is  transpiring  in  our  im- 


120  REMINISCENCES 

mediate  front.  We  know  only  that  a  series  of  terrific 
battles  have  been  fought  and  that  thousands  of  wounded 
men  have  passed  through  here  for  Nashville  and  other 
hospitals. 

"From  all  that  we  can  learn,  General  Rosecrans  has 
a  strong  position  in  front  of  Chattanooga  a  few  miles, 
and  will  be  able  to  hold  it  until  reinforced ;  but  he  is  no 
c^oubt  confronted  by  largely  superior  numbers.  Every 
day  we  are  seeing  the  mistake  of  the  Government  in 
failing  to  fill  up  the  armies.  Fifty  thousand  additional 
men,  who  ought  to  have  been  in  the  field  months  ago, 
would  make  everything  secure;  but  now  the  situation  is 
full  of  perils,  and  we  may  meet  with  reverses  for  want  of 
men,  that  we  can  not  retrieve  in  a  year.  That  we  have 
not  enough  men  in  the  field  is  a  terrible  blunder  that 
must  be  atoned  for  in  the  blood  and  tears  of  the  inno 
cent  ! 

"I  think  that  we  are  not  in  any  danger  of  an  attack 
here  in  force,  at  least  as  matters  now  appear  to  stand.  I 
will  keep  you  fully  advised  of  our  situation.  This  morn 
ing  a  force  of  rebels  attacked  and  scattered  a  new  com 
pany  of  loyal  Alabamans  who  were  posted  on  the  rail 
road  near  Larkinsville.  Captain  Norcross,  with  100  of 
the  13th  boys,  has  gone  down  to  look  after  them.  It  is 
some  twenty  miles  west  of  here.  I  don't  think  they  will 
get  a  fight  out  of  them. 

"General  Morgan,  who  commands  the  forces  about 
here,  is  throwing  more  and  more  responsibility  upon  me. 
He  is  a  most  excellent  officer  and  a  very  pleasant  gentle 
man.  I  have  one  of  his  aids,  Lieut.  Bridges,  Adjutant 
Scott,  one  clerk,  Johnny,  and  two  mounted  orderlies  to 
help  me.  The  duty  of  the  regiment  is  quite  heavy." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Sun.,  Sept.  27,  1863.— No  changes 
at  the  front  that  I  know  of.  Our  army  is  in  a  strong 
position,  close  in  front  of  Chattanooga,  awaiting  rein 
forcements,  but  where  they  are  to  come  from  is  more  than 


OF   THE   CIVIL  WAR  121 

I  know.  The  rebel  army  is  close  by  ours  but  don't  seem 
inclined  to  attack.  I  can  not  learn  that  there  has  been 
any  fighting  for  several  days.  We  do  not  anticipate 
any  attack  here.  All  the  fords  of  the  river  are  strongly 
guarded,  two  brigades  of  cavalry  having  just  come  to 
this  vicinity  on  that  duty. 

"We  hear  a  report  from  Ft.  Donelson  that  the  83d 
Mounted  Infantry  had  a  fight  near  the  rolling  mill 
with  Hinson's  gang  and  killed  George  Hinson,  thus 
cheating  the  gallows. 

"Col.  Smith  of  the  83d  is  at  Clarksville  with  one- 
half  of  his  regiment.  The  102d  Ohio  is  on  the  rail 
road,  thirty  miles  above  us.  Not  a  regiment  is  passing 
through  here  to  reinforce  Gen.  Rosecrans,  and  there 
he  is  confronted  with  more  than  double  his  numbers. 
He  may  get  12,000  or  15,000  of  Burnside?s  men  from 
Knoxville,  but  I  do  not  learn  that  even  these  have 
come  up  yet,  and  when  they  do  they  will  not  any  more 
than  make  up  his  losses  in  the  late  battles.  I  doubt 
whether  we  have  another  General  who  could  have  pre 
vented  that  army  from  being  totally  routed  and  cut  to 
pieces  last  Sunday.  There  are  but  few  who  could  pre 
vent  it  from  being  done  now.  He  ought  to  have  50,000 
more  men  today  than  he  has  to  make  him  safe.  Still,  I 
believe  that  he  will  come  out  all  right. 

"Tlie  agents  of  the  Sanitary  and  of  the  U.  S. 
Christian  Commission  are  on  hand  to  take  care  of  the 
wounded,  and  are  doing  (particularly  the  latter)  an 
immense  amount  of  good.  I  am  glad  to  be  in  a  position 
to  be  able  to  render  them  considerable  aid  in  prosecuting 
their  good  work. 

"All  of  the  wounded  who  are  able  to  travel,  I 
think,  have  gone  on,  and  we  are  rid  of  our  prisoners, 
so  matters  are  not  quite  as  pressing  as  they  have  been 
for  a  few  days  past." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Tues.,  Sept.  29th,  1863.— The  first 


122  REMINISCENCES 

reinforcements  for  Gen.  Rosecrans,  a  detachment  of  the 
15th  Regulars,  went  through  here  last  night.  They 
are  from  Memphis.  It  is  understood  that  large  num 
bers  of  troops  are  pouring  into  Nashville  and  will  begin 
to  reach  here  tomorrow.  We  all  feel  better.  We  do 
not  expect  any  attack  here." 

"Stevenson,  Ala,,  Oct.  2nd,  1863.— Yesterday  we 
had  a  heavy  rain.  The  dust  has  disappeared  and  today 
the  weather  is  perfect.  It  is  the  first  rain  they  have 
had  for  three  months.  The  dust  had  become  perfectly 
dreadful,  owing  to  the  immense  numbers  of  wagons  and 
teams  that  traversed  the  country  in  every  direction. 

"The  llth  Army  Corps  from  the  Potomac  has  all 
passed  here  within  the  last  two  days  and  is  now  at 
Bridgeport,  It  is  probably  10,000  strong.  The  12th 
Army  Corps  is  expected  to  commence  arriving  tonight. 
It  is  a  great  relief  to  us  to  see  these  troops  coming 
here,  for  the  position  in  the  front  has  been  and  still 
is  full  of  peril. 

"All  citizens  have  been  ordered  out  of  Chattanooga, 
and  every  preparation  seems  to  be  making  for  another 
battle.  I  learn  that  the  balance  of  our  wounded  are 
being  sent  here,  and  that  both  armies  are  entrenching 
strongly — about  three  miles  apart.  My  opinion  is  that 
neither  side  feels  strong  enough  to  attack  the  other. 
In  these  days  it  is  hard  to  predict  what  a  day  will 
bring  forth. 

"There  was  a  collision  between  two  trains  near 
Bridgeport  last  night.  Our  officers  were  on  one  of  them, 
returning  home.  No  one  was  seriously  hurt,  but  I  learn 
that  Col.  Chapman  had  his  head  bumped  rather  se 
verely." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Mon.,  Oct.  5th,  1863.— Major- 
Generals  Hooker  and  Butterfield  arrived  here  on  Satur 
day  night.  I  have  been  engaged  preparing  head  quarters 
for  them  and  their  staff.  They  spend  nearly  all  their 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  123 

time  in  my  office,  and  of  course  draw  quite  a  crowd 
around  them.  Gen.  Hooker  is  in  command  of  all  the 
troops  sent  here  from  Virginia,  and  Butterfield  is  his 
Chief  of  Staff.  These  troops  at  present  are  scattered 
from  Nashville  to  Bridgeport,  and  the  General  will 
keep  his  headquarters  here  until  there  is  some  other 
movement.  He  is  located  within  a  few  yards  of  my 
quarters. 

"Ruger's  Brigade  is  back  on  the  railroad  thirty  or 
forty  miles.  We  expect  the  Adjutant  down  here  every 
train.  With  the  exception  of  two  or  three  little  raids 
across  the  river,  up  towards  Chattanooga,  resulting  in 
the  loss  of  some  wagons  and  stores,  everything  is  quiet 
about  here.  I  wait  and  watch  for  things  to  settle  down, 
so  that  you  can  come  to  me,  but  the  time  has  not  yet 
arrived.  Your  army  experience  will  be  defective  unless 
you  can  make  a  campaign  in  Alabama  as  well  as  in 
Missouri  and  Tennessee.  Capt.  Blake  is  here.  I  fiiuT 
him  very  gentlemanly  and  obedient.  Sickness,  mostlv 
ague,  is  on  the  increase  in  the  regiment,  none  danger 
ously  ill. 

"Major-General  Howard,  who  commands  the  llth 
Army  Corps,  SigePs  old  command,  was  here  yesterday. 
He  is  located  at  Bridgeport.  The  three  Major-Generals 
were  together  in  my  quarters  yesterday,  and  if  you  are 
willing  I  will  give  you  a  description  of  them. 

"General  Hooker  is  a  large,  finely  built,  erect  man, 
about  45  to  50  years  old,  shaves  smooth,  has  light  blue 
eyes  and  homely  nose,  and  is  one  of  the  most  familiar 
and  affable  men  I  have  ever  met.  He  impresses  you 
at  once  with  the  idea  that  he  is  brave  and  true,  and  as 
kind  and  tender-hearted  as  a  woman.  He  is  one  of 
those  men  who  not  only  commands  respect  and  confi 
dence,  but  love.  He  is  very  entertaining  in  conversation, 
and  last  evening  gave  me  a  history  of  his  connection 
with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  from  which  I  learned 


124  REMINISCENCES 

more  of  the  operations  there  than  I  ever  knew  before. 
He  is  thoroughly  satisfied  that  history  will  fully  vindi 
cate  the  correctness  of  his  generalship  there  so  far  as 
he  was  permitted  to  act  on  his  own  judgment.  He 
complained  bitterly  of  Washington  interference  and 
I  doubt  not  with  good  cause. 

"Butterfield  is  a  small,  handsome  man,  about  thirty- 
five  years  old.  He  is  quiet,  unostentatious,  and  in  man 
ners  a  polished  gentleman.  He  talks  but  little,  but  is 
evidently  a  man  of  great  intellectual  power.  He  labors 
incessantly.  One  of  his  staff  said  that  he  never  rests 
and  never  allows  any  rest  to  any  one  about  him. 

"Howard  is  a  small  man,  and  with  the  exception 
that  his  hair  is  quite  gray,  appears  young.  I  do  not 
think  him  much  over  thirty-five.  He  lost  an  arm  at  the 
battle  of  Fair  Oaks.  In  manners  he  appears  very  much 
like  Samuel  D.  Hastings.  He  has  a  mild  blue  eye,  is 
very  handsome,  very  affable,  and  is  really  what  the 
ladies  call  a  charming  man.  Added  to  these  qualities, 
lie  is  a  very  brave  man  and  deeply  pious.  We  seldom 
see  three  such  men  together  in  the  army  or  in  any  other 
place. 

"The  staff  officers  are  all  young  men,  and  very 
pleasant  gentlemen.  Col.  Fessenden,  a  son  of  Senator 
Fessenden  of  Maine,  is  one  of  them.77 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Thurs.  Eve.,  Oct.  8th,  1863.— We 
have  been  isolated  here  for  a  few  days,  and  you  need  not 
be  surprised  if  you  do  not  get  letters  regularly.  The  rebel 
cavalry  got  in  our  rear  the  other  day  and  cut  our  com 
munications.  The  telegraph  line  was  restored  today, 
and  we  expect  trains  through  from  Nashville  tomorrow. 

"I  learn  from  General  Butterfield's  dispatches  to 
Gen.  Hooker  (which  he  very  kindly  shows  to  me)  that 
the  enemy  struck  the  railroad  at  Christiana,  ten  miles 
this  side  of  Murfreesboro,  capturing  a  company  and 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  125 


destroying  the  water  tank.  They  then  tore  up  a  mile 
of  track  near  Duck  River,  and  destroyed  a  bridge  across 
that  stream  near  Tullahoma.  Our  cavalry  were  in  close 
pursuit,  overtaking  them  near  Shelbyville  (which  place 
they  had  burned),  attacking  and  whipping  them,  killing 
100,  capturing  300,  and  scattering  the  balance  of  the 
rebel  force.  General  Ruger's  Brigade  is  on  the  railroad 
between  Tullahoma  and  Murfreesboro.  The  rebels  were 
too  closely  pursued  to  do  much  damage. 

"General  Butterfield  went  up  to  take  command  of 
the  troops  that  were  left  behind  in  order  to  open  com 
munications.  It  interferes  seriously  with  us  to  have  this 
line  cut  off.  We  are  out  of  forage,  and  rations  are 
getting  uncomfortably  low.  This  same  force  captured 
and  destroyed  several  hundred  wagons  between  here 
and  Chattanooga,  loaded  with  supplies  and  ammunition. 
I  think  they  have  done  their  worst  and  that  we  shall 
have  no  difficulty  now  in  keeping  the  road  open.  Gen. 
Morgan  told  me  tonight  that  he  heard  that  the  men 
captured  at  Christiana  were  from  the  22nd  Wisconsin. 
1  hope  not. 

"Dr.  Woolcott,  from  Milwaukee,  the  Surgeon  Gen 
eral  of  the  State,  is  here  and  took  tea  with  me  tonight. 
He  is  accompanied  by  Rev.  Mr.  Staples  of  Milwaukee. 
The  Doctor  has  been  to  the  front  to  look  after  our 
wounded,  and  lost  all  his  baggage  when  the  wagon 
train  was  captured.  He  escaped  by  taking  a  shorter 
road  on  foot  over  the  mountains.  He  says  that  it  is  the 
general  opinion  that  Bragg  is  evacuating  his  position 
in  front  of  Chattanooga.  The  rebels  shelled  our  camps 
there  all  day  Tuesday,  doing  but  very  little  damage, 
however.  We  have  no  fears  of  an  attack  here. 

"We  are  stripping  this  whole  country  of  forage, 
many  thousand  animals  having  been  sent  back  here  to 
recruit ;  and  there  will  be,  and  is  already,  much  suf 
fering  among  the  people.  Many  hundreds  have  gone 


126  REMINISCENCES 

North,  the  Government  furnishing  them  transportation, 
and  large  numbers  more  are  going.  We  feed  several 
hundreds  out  of  Government  supplies.  We  issue  them 
half  rations  of  bread  and  meat,  The  people  have  no 
coffee,  sugar  or  salt.  They  beg  most  piteously  for  salt. 
We  have  none  of  these  articles  for  them.  You  can 
have  no  adequate  idea  of  the  suffering  caused  by  the 
want  of  salt.  Some  have  told  me  that  all  the  salt  they 
have  had  for  a  year  is  what  they  have  procured  by 
leaching  the  earth  in  their  smoke-houses.  This  is  the 
more  painful  because  these  people  are  nearly  all  truly 
loyal,  and  have  suffered  terribly  for  their  loyalty." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Sun.  P.  M.,  Oct.  llth,  1863.— We 
have  been  cut  off  from  the  United  States  for  several 
days.  The  first  train  came  through  from  Nashville  last 
night.  We  were  all  out  of  forage  and  rations  were 
running  unpleasantly  low.  Now  we  have  large  quan 
tities  of  supplies,  or  will  have  immediately.  I  think 
our  communications  are  comparatively  safe,  General 
Hooker  having  used  every  possible  precaution  against 
further  interruption.  We  have  an  additional  brigade 
here  of  General  Hooker's  command,  but  I  am  still  left 
in  command  of  the  post. 

"General  Hooker  came  yesterday  and  asked  me  if 
I  belonged  to  General  Morgan's  Division.  I  answered 
in  the  negative.  He  replied  that  he  was  glad  of  it, 
because  he  had  orders  to  send  Gen.  Morgan's  command 
to  Anderson's  Cross  Roads,  twenty  miles  this  side  of 
Chattanooga.  Gen.  Morgan  left  this  morning,  but  only 
goes  to  Battle  Creek,  16  or  18  miles  from  here  on  the 
river 

"The  presence  of  Gen.  Hooker  here  does  not  relieve 
me  from  any  of  my  labors  or  responsibilities,  for  he  does 
not  interfere  at  all  in  the  management  of  the  post. 

"Those  Virginia  troops  did  not  get  here  a  day  too 
soon.  The  rebels  sent  a  large  force  of  cavalry  and  ar- 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  127 

tillery  to  cut  the  railroad  in  our  rear,  expecting  to  do 
it  before  those  troops  got  here.  We  learn  that  it  was 
their  intention  to  keep  on  this  way,  destroying  the 
railroad  and  the  supplies  at  this  place,  scattering  the 
forces  guarding  the  road,  which  they  were  strong 
enough  to  do;  but  when  they  got  to  the  railroad  they 
found  so  large  a  force  in  their  neighborhood  that  they 
did  but  comparatively  little  mischief  and  hurried  on. 
Our  cavalry  were  in  close  pursuit  of  them,  and  on  Thurs 
day  last  overhauled  and  repulsed  them  at  Shelby ville, 
killing,  wounding  and  capturing  several  hundred. 

"So  you  see  a  protecting  Providence  has  saved  us 
once  more  from  a  great  peril.  We  are  now  safe  from 
any  mere  raid.  Nothing  less  than  an  army  has  any 
business  on  this  side  of  the  Tennessee  river. 

"All  the  troops  which  were  left  behind  when  Gen. 
Kosecrans  advanced  from  Murfreesboro  in  June  were 
organized  into  what  is  called  the  'Reserve  Corps.7  This 
corps  is  divided  into  three  divisions,  tjhe  first  com 
manded  by  Gen.  Steadman,  the  second  by  Gen.  Mor 
gan,  and  the  third  by  Brigadier-General  R.  S.  Granger, 
the  whole  under  command  of  Major-General  Gordon 
Granger.  We  are  in  the  1st  Brigade  of  the  Third  Divis 
ion. 

"The  Reserve  Corps  numbers  some  25,000  men, 
8,000  of  whom — from  the  1st  and  2nd  Divisions,  were 
in  the  Chickamaugua  battles.  The  Corps  is  badly  scat- 
tere  and  I  think  will  be  reorganized.  Our  brigade  is 
strung  all  the  way  from  Ft.  Donelson  to  Stevenson. 
We  are  nearest  the  front  of  any  regiment  of  our  division. 

"Gen.  Rosecrans  has  made  his  position  at  Chatta 
nooga  too  strong  for  the  rebels  to  attack  him,  and 
they  will  hardly  attempt  to  cross  the  Tennessee  river 
with  our  army  there.  Oh !  for  50,000  more  men,  and 
the  rebellion  would  be  crushed  in  the  West  in  ninety 


128  REMINISCENCES 


days;  but  the  men  are  not  here  and  we  must  do  the  best 
we  can." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Oct.  18th,  1863— It  has  rained 
for  several  days.  The  roads  from  here  to  Chattanooga 
are  terrible,  and  it  is  almost  impossible  to  keep  the 
army  there  supplied  with  provisions.  Lieut.  Wemple 
has  just  been  there  with  a  part  of  his  company,  to 
escort  a  drove  of  cattle.  It  took  them  six  days  to 
make  the  trip.  They  had  to  swim  the  streams  at  that. 
Our  cavalry  have  driven  Wheeler  across  the  Tennessee 
river  at  the  Muscle  Shoals,  and  are  now  down  that 
way  at  Flint  River  recruiting  their  horses,  fifty  or 
sixty  miles  west  of  here.  The  5th  Iowa  Cavalry  are 
with  the  expedition.  Col.  Lowe  has  command  of  a 
brigade.  They  will  be  up  here  in  a  few  days. 

"Yesterday  we  celebrated  the  2nd  anniversary  of 
the  13th's  enlistment,  it  having  been  originally  mustered 
on  the  17th  of  Oct.,  1861.  We  ate  large  quantities  of 
cove  oysters  on  the  occasion,  at  the  Alabama  House,  a 
dirty,  one-horse  eating  house  here. 

"The  whole  army  of  the  Cumberland  is  being  re 
organized,  and  we  do  not  know  anything  about  where 
we  shall  be  assigned.  My  opinion  is  that  there  will 
be  no  general  engagement  here  for  some  time  to  come, 
if  at  all. 

"We  are  led  to  believe  that  Sherman's  Corps  from 
Vicksburg  is  on  the  way  here,  but  we  have  no  definite 
knowledge  about  it.  The  old  8th  is  in  that  corps." 

'Stevenson,  Ala.,  Wed.  Eve.,  Oct.  21st,  1863— It 
has  rained  nearly  all  day,  and  the  roads  are  almost 
impassable,  causing  much  apprehension  that  we  shall 
be  unable  to  get  forward  sufficient  supplies  for  our  army 
at  the  front.  The  supplies  are  kept  here  for  this  large 
army. 

"The  grand  theme  of  interest  and  discussion  now 
is  the  change  of  commanders  in  this  army.  Generals 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  129 

Grant  and  Rosecrans  arrived  here  an  hour  ago,  and  are 
both  at  General  Hooker's  quarters.  This  is  a  remarkable 
meeting.  Less  than  four  months  ago  these  three  gen 
erals  were  at  the  head  of  three  great  armies  of  the 
Union,  and  the  eyes  of  the  whole  world  were  upon  them 
Hooker  at  the  head  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was 
carrying  out  that  splendid  strategy  which  culminated 
in  the  defeat  of  Lee  at  Gettysburg.  A  few  days  after 
he  was  relieved  (by  his  own  request)  from  the  command 
of  that  army.  Grant  was  pressing  upon  Vicksburg, 
which  he  soon  after  captured;  and  Rosecrans,  with  the 
laurels  of  Stone  River  fresh  upon  his  brow,  was  pur 
suing  the  retreating  army  of  Bragg  out  of  Tennessee. 

"Tonight  they  are  all  here — Rosecrans  without  a 
command;  Hooker  with  a  very  subordinate  one;  and 
Grant,  wrhose  star  seems  to  be  in  the  ascendant,  with  a 
command  greater  by  far  than  has  been  entrusted  to 
SLIIJ  other  general  in  this  war.  Three  nobler,  braver, 
or  better  men,  never  met  than  these ;  and  whatever  their 
future  may  be  they  will  fill  a  glorious  place  in  our 
history. 

"I  have  no  fault  to  find  with  the  removal  of  Gen 
eral  Rosecrans.  I  can  readily  imagine  why  the  Gov 
ernment  should  regard  it  as  imperiously  necessary  to 
do  so.  The  consolidation  of  the  three  departments  of 
Tennessee,  Ohio,  and  the  Cumberland,  into  one  under 
General  Grant,  is  a  very  wise  measure. 

"No  further  signs  of  our  moving." 

"Stevenson,  Ala,,  Oct.  23,  1863.— How  little  we 
know  what  is  before  us!  We  were  ordered  ten  days 
ago  to  Battle  Creek,  on  the  river  above  Bridgeport,  and 
a  few  days  afterwards  the  place  was  changed  to  Ander 
son  Cross  Roads,  way  up  in  the  mountain  towards 
Chattanooga.  The  order  came  from  General  Morgan- 
am!  we  wrere  to  march  when  relieved  by  Gen.  Hooker. 
The  General  never  got  ready  to  relieve  us,  and  so  we 


130  REMINISCENCES 

did  not  march  under  that  order;  but  this  afternoon 
the  order  caine  from  Gen.  Thomas,  and  is  peremptory; 
and  so  we  must  go  sometime  tomorrow. 

"Adjt.  Scott  has  gone  up  the  railroad  to  see  Ruger. 
He  is  at  Tullahoma.  Rain  every  day,  and  mud  un 
fathomable.  A  nasty  time  to  move,  but  soldiers  must 
go  without  grumbling,  when  ordered. 

"I  was  mistaken  when  I  said  in  my  last  that  Gen 
Grant  was  at  Gen.  Hooker  s  quarters.  He  was  in  town, 
and  the  three  major-generals  met  at  the  cars,  but  Grant 
went  on  to  Bridgeport.  Next  morning  General  Hooker 
came  in  and  asked  me  to  go  to  his  quarters  and  see 
Gen.  Rosecrans.  I  went,  and  was  introduced.  Gen. 
Rosecrans  immediately  said,  'Gen.  Hooker,  this  is  my 
old  Ft.  Donelson  commander/  and  he  spoke  very  <om- 
plimentarily  of  my  administration  of  affairs  there.  He 
recollected  me  in  Mississippi,  upon  my  reminding  him  of 
one  or  two  incidents  that  happened  there. 

"The  band  of  the  33d  Massachusetts  serenaded  the 
generals,  and  they  both  made  little  speeches  and  both 
made  failures.  They  can  fight,  but  neither  of  them  can 
make  a  speech. 

"My  successor  in  the  command  of  the  post  will  be 
Colonel  Cobham,  of  the  lllth  Pennsylvania.  He  will 
assume  command  in  the  morning.  Come  to  think,  you 
will  want  to  know  where  we  are  going.  We  are  ordered 
to  Nashville.  Aren't  you  sorry?  We  go  by  railroad/" 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Oct.  25,  1863.— We  put  the  regi 
ment  on  the  cars  yesterday  afternoon,  but  it  did  not  get 
off  until  this  afternoon.  I  go  in  the  morning.  The 
Quartermaster,  Ira  Button,  goes  with  his  traps  tomor 
row,  and  the  mounted  infantry  will  go  in  two  or  three 
days,  as  soon  as  Lieut.  Lamoreau  gets  back  from  Chat 
tanooga,  where  he  has  gone  with  a  drove  of  cattle  for 
the  army.  That  cleans  out  the  13th  from  Stevenson. 

"General  Hooker  moves  his  headquarters  to  Bridge- 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  131 

port  tomorrow.  I  was  relieved  yesterday  by  Colonel 
Cobharn ;  and  he  was  relieved  today  by  Colonel  Ross,  of  a 
Connecticut  regiment.-' 

"Nashville,  Tenn.,  Oct.  29,  1863.— We  are  encamped 
in  a  dry,  beautiful  location  in  Edgefield,  directly  across 
the  river  from  Nashville  and  about  one-half  mile  from 
the  railroad  bridge.  Edgefield  is  a  clean,  quiet  village, 
and  we  have  decidedly  the  softest  thing  that  we  have  had 
since  I  have  been  with  the  regiment.  We  shall  probably 
remain  here  some  time,  perhaps  all  winter,  unless  some 
unexpected  emergency  arises  at  the  front. 

uNow  make  all  your  arrangements  to  come  to  me, 
and  I  will  make  my  arrangements  for  you  as  fast  as  I 
can.  I  am  living  in  a  tent  now,  but»will  find  a  house,  or 
some  rooms,  as  soon  as  I  can.  It  is  necessary  for  you  to 
have  a  permit  to  come  here.  I  will  have  no  difficulty  in 
getting  it,  I  think,  and  will  send  it  to  you  in  a  few  days, 
together  with  a  list  of  articles  you  will  need  to  bring 
with  you. 

"The  regiment  is  furnishing  guards  in  the  city, 
about  150  per  day,  which  is  our  only  duty.  The  weather 
is  most  lovely,  and  it  is  a  delightful  change  from  the  rain 
and  mud  and  filth  of  Stevenson. 

UA  torpedo  was  exploded  under  one  of  the  trains 
that  had  our  regiment,  when  coming  here,  which  threw 
the  engine  off  the  track  and  made  a  perfect  wreck  of  the 
tender,  but  fortunately  no  one  was  hurt.  This  occurred 
Sunday  night,  about  28  miles  this  side  of  Stevenson." 

"Headquarters  13th  Regt.  Wis.  Vol.,  Camp  Bigney, 
near  Nashville,  Tenn,  Sun.  p.  ni.,  Nov.  1,  1863. — It  takes 
considerable  writing,  I  find,  to  give  you  our  exact  'locus 
in  quo/  as  the  lawyers  say,  but  you  have  the  whole  story 
in  the  heading  to  this  letter.  We  named  the  camp  yes 
terday,  on  parade,  in  honor  of  the  major  who  selected  it, 
and  whose  influence  brought  us  here;  and  a  beautiful 
camp  with  most  beautiful  surroundings  it  is.  too.  The 


132  REMINISCENCES 

weather  is  very  pleasant  today,  but  we  have  had  a  very 
severe  rainstorm  and  have  frosty  nights. 

"It  is  a  little  rough  lying  on  the  ground,  and  I  have 
neither  floor  nor  fire  in  my  tent,  yet  I  stand  it  well.  Jerry 
is  quite  indignant  that  I  should  live  so.  Says  he,  'Col 
onel,  it's  enough  to  kill  a  hoss  to  sleep  on  that  wet 
ground !  Yes,  sir,  it's  enough  to  kill  a  good  hoss !'  I 
have  not  yet  secured  any  rooms  for  us,  although  I  am 
diligently  hunting  for  them.  I  would  like  to  have  the 
children  here,  but  looking  the  thing  all  over  my  best 
judgment  is  that  they  will  be  better  off  at  home.  I  have 
got  a  pony  for  you  to  ride  when  you  get  here — gentle 
as  a  lamb,  and  my  horse  is  a  beauty.  I  ride  a  good  deal." 

"Nashville,  Tenn.,  Nov.  5,  1863.— I  am  on  a  court  of 
inquiry,  to  investigate  a  matter  connected  with  the 
shooting  and  killing  of  one  of  his  men  by  Colonel  Meis- 
ner,  of  the  14th  Mich.,  and  shall  be  so  occupied  all  of 
this  week.  We  hold  one  session  per  day  at  the  capitol, 
from  9  a.  m.  until  noon.  At  the  election  last  Tuesday, 
the  13th  gave  400  majority  for  the  Union  ticket,  only  18 
or  20  votes  cast  for  Palmer.  I  see  by  yesterday's  papers 
that  the  State  has  gone  Union  by  a  large  majority. 

"I  am  on  the  track  of  a  house  two  blocks  from  camp, 
which  I  think  I  can  get.  Boats  are  running  up  the  river 
quite  freely  now,  and  occasionally  get  fired  into  between 
here  and  Clarksville.  That  region  is  full  of  guerillas 
now,  since  the  troops  are  withdrawn  from  Donelson  and 
Clarksville.  The  83d  is  there  yet,  but  can  not  do  much 
for  want  of  numbers. 

"Captain  Hewitt  and  I  have  rented  a  house  together 
and  I  moved  into  it  on  Tuesday.  It  is  a  brick  house,  two 
rooms,  one  story,  in  a  quiet,  pleasant  spot,  about  30  rods 
from  the  camp.  We  pay  ten  dollars  per  month  rent.  I 
send  you  a  diagram.  Mrs.  Hewitt  and  you  had  better 
come  on  together.  We  shall  have  to  mess  together.  The 
rooms  are  large  and  commodious,  good  walls  and  floors, 


OP  THE  CIVIL  WAK  133 

and  excellent  fireplaces,  don't  smoke  a  particle.  We 
will  live  in  our  room  and  eat  in  their  room.  Jerry  and 
Minerva  have  an  outside  room,  and  have  in  it  a  little 
stove  that  I  had  for  my  tent." 

"Nashville,  Tenn.,  Nov.  15,  1863. — We  commence 
brigade  drill  tomorrow  under  General  Ward,  and  are  to 
drill  three  times  a  week." 

"Edgefield,  Tenn.,  Fri.,  Nov.  20,  1863.— We  had  a 
review  yesterday  of  seven  regiments  of  infantry,  one  of 
cavalry  and  a  battery  of  artillery.  We  made  quite  a 
show.  General  Granger  was  the  reviewing  officer." 

"Nov.  29,  1863.— General  Grant  has  cleaned  out 
Bragg,  which  I  think  ensures  our  staying  here  this  win 
ter.  We  have  a  new  band.  They  heard  you  were  here 
last  Wednesday  night,  and  came  over  to  serenade  you. 
They  play  well." 


134 


REMINISCENCES 


bout  this  time  I  went  South.  I  took 
Clara  with  me.  The  winter  was  quietly 
spent  at  Edgefield,  without  much  to 
narrate.  We  lived  in  the  same  house 
with  Captain  and  Mrs.  Hewitt,  and 
messed  together. 

A  few  letters  to  Father  Lyon  are 
all  the  letters  I  have  for  a  couple  of 
months,  and  there  is  but  little  in  them. 

MRS.  LYON'S  DIARY. 


Jan.  1,  1864. — The  weather  is  very  cold.  It  is  ten 
degrees  below  zero,  the  coldest  weather  ever  known  in 
Nashville,  so  the  citizens  say.  Captain  and  Mrs.  Hewitt 
and  William  and  I  received  calls  together.  We  had  calls 
from  General  Ward*  and  his  staff  officers,  and  all  the 
officers  of  the  13th.  In  the  evening  we  had  all  the  ladies 
in  our  regiment  to  spend  the  evening  and  to  help  dis 
pose  of  the  eatables  that  were  left  over.  The  band  sere 
naded  us. 

January  2,  1864. — Still  very  cold,  six  degrees  below 
zero.  The  houses  here  are  not  built  for  warmth,  but 
to  keep  cool  in  summer. 

Jan.  16,  1864. — A  large  party  of  us  went  in  ambu 
lances  to  visit  the  penitentiary. 


COLONEL  LYON'S   LETTERS. 


"Edgefield,  Sun.,  Jan.  31,  1864.— I  received  between 
50  and  60  new  recruits  from  Wisconsin  yesterday,  and 

*  Major-General  Ward  was  a  distinguished  Kentuckian,  for  many 
years  a  member  of  Congress  from  that  State  before  the  war.  He  was 
a  grand  old  man  and  I  loved  him.  One  of  his  staff  was  Colonel  Ben 
jamin  Harrison,  afterward  President.  Colonel  Harrison  was  Colonel 
of  an  Indiana  regiment  in  our  brigade. — W.  P.  L. 


MRS.   ADEL1A   C.  LYON 

Racine,    Wisconsin,    1863 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  135 

expect  a  good  many  more.  The  regiment  will  probably 
fill  up.  Three  hundred  and  forty-eight  of  my  men  have 
re-enlisted  and  have  been  mustered  as  veterans,  and  the 
number  will  probably  increase  to  400.  I  have  just  for 
warded  an  application  for  the  regiment  to  be  furloughed 
home.  It  will  be  about  two  weeks  before  we  hear  from 
it.  If  the  application  is  granted,  and  I  expect  that  it 
will  be,  we  shall  probably  get  off  between  the  15th  and 
20th  of  February.  This  veteran  movement  is  a  grand 
thing,  and  the  most  discouraging  to  the  rebels  of  any 
thing  that  has  transpired  during  the  war.  I  feel  it  my 
duty  to  encourage  it  by  all  proper  means." 

"Feb.  7,  1864. — We  have  received  our  veterans'  fur 
lough,  and  expect  to  leave  here  for  Janesville  the  last 
of  the  week,  with  between  400  and  500  of  the  regiment; 
in  which  case  we  shall  reach  there  about  the  17th,  and 
get  home  two  or  three  days  later.  Jerry  and  Minerva 
will  go  home  with  us.  They  will  make  arrangements  for 
housekeeping." 

"Nashville,  Tenn.,  March  31,  1864.— We  got  here, 
six  companies  of  us,  this  morning  just  at  daylight.  The 
other  four  companies,  E,  K,  G  and  B,  were  left  at  Chi 
cago  for  want  of  transportation — will  probably  be  here 
tomorrow.  We  were  on  the  cars  three  nights  and  got 
but  little  sleep.  I  have  commenced  boarding  at  Mrs. 
Morrison's,  in  Edgefield." 

"Edgefield,  April  3,  1864.— I  have  got  nearly  settled 
in  my  new  tent.  I  have  a  floor  and  stove  in  it.  Mr. 
Barker  is  here  today.  He  is  installed  in  his  new  place 
in  Nashville  and  thinks  he  will  get  along.  There  is  a 
house  full  at  Morrison's,  Norcross,  Noyes,  Hewitt,  Hol- 
lister,  Dr.  Smith,  Lamoreau,  Walters,  the  Chaplain,  and 
myself.  Wallahan  and  his  wife  are  there,  besides  a 
number  of  refugees,  I  think,  by  their  looks.  There  is 
some  one  in  our  old  place.  It  makes  me  homesick  to 
pass  there.  It  is  all  cleaned  up  and  looks  so  homelike. 


136  REMINISCENCES 

"I  spent  most  of  yesterday  with  Colonel  Hobart. 
We  dined  at  General  Rosecrans'  headquarters,  and  vis 
ited  the  22d  Wisconsin.  Met  Colonel  Streight  again." 

"Edgefield,  April  7,  1864. — Everything  is  pleasant 
at  Morrison's  and  I  am  more  comfortable  than  I  would 
be  if  I  ran  a  mess.  We  were  on  picket  duty  yesterday.  I 
have  the  whole  regiment  at  work  today  cleaning  the 
camp." 

"Edgefield,  Tenn.,  Sun.,  April  10,  1864.— I  have  sent 
Lieut.  Wemple's  detail  to  General  Thomas  for  approval, 
but  have  not  yet  heard  from  it.  In  addition  to  picket  duty 
we  have  been  put  on  tram-guard  duty  on  the  railroad  be 
tween  here  and  Louisville.  This  takes  the  whole  regi 
ment.  I  have  sent  the  right  wing  across  the  river  on  the 
picket  line  beyond  the  city,  under  command  of  Colonel 
Chapman,  to  do  that  duty.  All  the  men  in  the  left  wing 
are  on  the  railroad,  and  I  do  not  think  I  have  fifty  men 
in  camp  today.  Rather  lonesome.  Jerry  sends  his  best 
love  to  Minerva.  He  gets  homesick  sometimes.  Some 
body  cut  through  his  tent  and  stole  his  watch  a  few 
nights  since," 

"Edgefield,  Tenn.,  Thursday,  April  14,  1864. — I 
think  that  I  told  you  that  the  right  wing  of  the  regiment 
was  over  beyond  the  city  doing  picket  duty.  We  now 
picket  the  whole  city,  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  and 
guard  all  the  trains  running  on  the  Louisville  R.  R." 

"Edgefield,  Tenn.,  Sun.  eve.,  April  17,  1864.— There 
is  a  great  demand  for  houses  here,  and  many  efforts  are 
being  made  to  turn  these  poor  refugees  out  of  doors,  you 
know  they  are  numerous  here.  I  have  been  and  am  still 
protecting  them,  and  in  doing  so  get  complained  of  oc 
casionally  at  headquarters.  I  am  ahead,  though,  up 
to  this  present  writing.  I  think  that  these  rebels  here 
who  got  up  this  war  and  made  refugees  of  these  poor 
people,  ought  to  furnish  houses  for  them  to  live  in,  and 
I  mean  they  shall  to  some  extent," 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  137 

"Edgefield,  Teiin.,  April  21,  1864.— Everything  is 
in  statu  quo  here.  I  have  but  little  to  do  now  but  think 
and  read.  I  begin  to  discuss  the  question  in  my  own 
mind  whether  you  had  better  not  come  down  here  after 
a  little,  after  the  spring  campaign  is  fairly  progressing, 
which  will  be  in  a  month  or  so ;  then  if  we  are  left  here 
we  shall  be  pretty  sure  of  remaining  here  all  summer." 

"Edgefield,  Tenn.,  Mon.,  April  25,  1864.— Burns,  or 
somebody  else,  says,  'The  best  laid  schemes  of  mice  and 
men  gang  aft  aglee.'  For  example,  I  wrote  you  the  other 
day  that  I  thought  we  would  stay  here  some  time,  and 
talked  about  your  coming  down  after  a  little.  Yesterday 
I  got  an  order  that  we  start  tomorrow  morning  for  Stev 
enson,  to  take  care  of  the  railroad  from  Anderson,  12 
miles  this  side  of  Stevenson,  to  Bridgeport,  on  the  Ten 
nessee  river.  The  102d  Ohio,  Colonel  Given,  go  with 
us  on  the  same  business,  but  they  stop  at  Tullahoma. 

"We  are  to  move  at  daybreak,  but  may  be  delayed 
for  want  of  transportation.  We  will  be  nine  or  ten  days 
on  the  road,  so  direct  your  letters  to  Stevenson,  Ala. 
We  march,  you  know,  but  I  suppose  we  shall  occasion 
ally  strike  the  railroad.  I  will  drop  you  a  line  if  I  can. 
I  am  glad  to  get  away  from  Nashville,  my  regiment  was 
so  scattered." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  April  28,  1864. — Here  we  are,  safe 
and  sound,  having  come  by  railroad  instead  of  marching, 
as  we  expected  to  do.  We  got  here  at  noon  today.  No 
women  came  with  us.  General  Sherman  would  not  al 
low  it.  He  said  that  after  a  few  weeks,  perhaps,  he 
would  do  so,  but  not  now.  He  says  that  a  woman  eats 
as  much  as  a  soldier,  and  he  is  short  of  transportation  at 
present.  I  don't  think  it  is  very  unpleasant  here,  judg 
ing  from  the  reluctance  with  which  the  troops  here 
leave.  The  place  has  been  well  cleaned  and  is  in  fine 
order." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  May  3,  1864. — I  took  command  of 


138  REMINISCENCES 

this  post  on  Sunday  morning,  and  the  old  force  is  all 
gone  except  a  battery  of  artillery.  I  have  nay  old  quar 
ters  and  more.  I  occupy  for  my  own  private  residence 
the  room  that  General  Hooker  had  when  here." 

" Stevenson,  Ala.,  May  5,  1864. — An  immense  num 
ber  of  troops  has  passed  through  here  within  two  days, 
I  think  as  many  as  25,000  from  Huntsville,  Decatur,  and 
that  way.  They  are  the  15th  and  16th  Army  Corps. 
Generals  Sherman,  Logan,  McPherson,  Sickles,  and  lots 
more,  have  gone  to  the  front,  and  there  will  probably  be 
a  heavy  battle  in  the  neighborhood  of  Dalton  in  a  very 
few  days.  I  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  we  shall  be 
there.  We  seem  to  be  pretty  firmly  anchored  here  just 
at  present. 

"We  naturally  have  a  great  anxiety  concerning  the 
result  of  the  expected  battle.  The  enemy  are  no  doubt 
in  heavy  force,  and  so  are  we.  Our  very  best  Generals, 
except  Grant,  are  there;  and  I  am  very  hopeful  that  we 
shall  defeat  them.  If  we  do,  it  virtually  puts  an  end  to 
the  war  in  this  part  of  the  country.  A  defeat  for  us  is 
not  so  serious  a  matter  as  it  would  be  for  them;  yet  if 
we  should  be  defeated  it  would  prolong  the  war  for  many 
months.  Our  hope  is  in  the  justice  of  our  cause,  the 
blessing  of  God,  and  the  courage  and  patriotism  of  our 
army. 

"Our  wagon  train  has  just  got  through,  bringing 
our  mess  traps." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  May  9,  1864. — Everything  is  quiet 
and  comfortable  here.  Two  years  ago  today  we  fought 
at  Farmington,  Miss.,  when  Captain  Perkins  and  Lieut. 
Beamish  were  killed.  We  got  no  news  from  the  front, 
but  feel  easy  about  operations  down  there.  The  news 
from  Virginia  this  morning  is  first  rate. 

"I  am  going  to  Tullahoma  today  to  report  in  per 
son  to  General  Paine,  who  has  command  from  there  to 
Bridgeport;  will  be  back  tomorrow.  The  71st  Ohio,  Col- 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  139 

onel  McConnell,  is  between  here  and  Tullahoma  on  the 
railroad.  I  was  sent  here  because  I  had  been  here  be 
fore  and  had  a  reliable,  well  disciplined  regiment,  and 
because,  further,  as  General  Rousseau  told  me,  he  knew 
my  boys  would  fight  if  attacked.  This  service  is  honor 
able,  and  it  was  a  high  compliment  sending  me  here,  and 
so  intended  by  General  Rousseau.  General  Granger  was 
not  consulted  and  had  nothing  to  do  with  it." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Wed.,  May  11,  1864. — I  went  to 
Tullahoma,  as  I  wrote  you,  and  saw  and  reported  to 
General  Paine  (of  Illinois) .  I  was  well  acquainted  with 
him  before.  I  also  met  Colonel  Given,  of  the  102d  Ohio, 
an  old  acquaintance,  you  know. 

"While  there  we  received  dispatches  from  Nashville, 
which  were  sent  to  me  there  and  here  at  the  same  time, 
that  Roddey  (a  rebel  guerilla,  General,  or  Colonel,  or 
something)  had  crossed  the  Tennessee  river  at  Florence, 
near  Tuscumbia,  Ala.,  with  5,000  men.  They  do  not 
know  what  he  is  after,  nor  where  he  intends  to  go.  This 
notice  was  to  keep  us  on  the  alert  should  he  come  this 
way,  which  is  not  expected.  If  he  comes  here  we  can 
whip  him. 

"Well,  I  started  back  at  2 :30  o'clock  yesterday 
morning,  but  was  stopped  three  miles  out  with  the  intel 
ligence  that  the  track  had  been  torn  up  by  guerillas 
three  miles  farther  on.  So  we  went  back  to  Tullahoma 
and  got  some  soldiers  and  went  down  there.  We  found 
that  a  few  men  on  barefoot  horses,  evidently  citizens  re 
siding  near  there,  had  torn  a  couple  of  rails  loose,  built 
a  large  fire  on  the  track,  and  left.  Owing  to  the  deten 
tion  I  did  not  get  back  here  until  noon. 

"I  intended  to  stop  along  the  road  and  inspect  the 
troops  and  works  under  my  charge,  but  it  rained  all  the 
morning,  so  I  deferred  the  inspection  to  another  day. 

"Last  night  we  had  a  terrific  storm  of  wind,  rain, 
thunder  and  lightning,  lasting  half  the  night.  Such  a 


140  REMINISCENCES 

storm  in  these  mountains,  the  lightning  flashing  around 
their  summits,  the  thunder  echoing,  the  wind  howling 
through  the  gorges,  and  the  torrents  rushing  down  the 
mountain  sides,  is  most  sublime.  But  you  know  some 
thing  of  these  southern  thunder  storms. 

"We  are  making  strong  fortifications  here;  and  if 
the  enemy  will  keep  away  for  thirty  days,  I  do  not  care 
how  many  such  troops  as  Forrest,  Roddey,  and  those  fel 
lows  have,  pitch  into  us.  I  have  one  good  redoubt  now, 
with  six  pieces  of  artillery  in  it. 

"Captain  Norcross  reports  that  his  pickets  were 
tired  on  last  night,  no  one  hurt.  He  is  stationed  about 
three  miles  from  here.  There  were  but  two  or  three  of 
the  assailants,  and  they  ran  off  when  the  sentinel,  after 
discharging  his  musket,  ran  after  them  firing  his  revol 
ver.  There  are  a  few  desperadoes  in  the  mountains  west 
of  us,  and  it  was  doubtless  some  of  them.  The  citizens 
say,  'We  are  mighty  proud  to  see  you-uns  back  here.' 
There  is  much  distress  amongst  them,  General  Sherman 
having  stopped  the  issuing  of  rations." 

"Stevenson,  Ala,,  Sun.,  May  15,  1864. — I  have  had 
two  ragged  sheets  made  into  one,  and  now  have  a  pair  of 
good  sheets.  I  bathed  last  night  and  had  Jerry  wash  and 
dry  my  single  towel  before  I  got  up  this  morning.  Jerry 
does  all  my  room  work.  The  doctor  fixed  me  up  some 
tansy  bitters  and  I  worry  down  a  little  of  the  bitter  stuff 
about  twice  a  day. 

"I  spent  yesterday  and  Friday  inspecting  the  rail 
road  defenses  in  my  beat.  I  stayed  Friday  night  at  An 
derson,  with  Captain  Noyes.  The  companies  on  the  rail 
road  are  well  suited,  and  are  willing  to  stay  there.  The 
whole  regiment  seems  contented. 

"How  glorious  the  news  that  comes  from  General 
Grant!  The  heavy  fighting  of  this  war,  I  believe,  is 
nearly  over,  although  the  army  must  be  retained  some 
time  yet. 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  141 

"General  Rousseau  has  just  sent  me  125  colored 
soldiers  to  work  on  the  fortifications.  This  relieves  the 
13th  very  much. 

"Everything  is  perfectly  quiet  in  our  vicinity,  no 
force  of  rebels  anywhere  near  us,  but  there  are  guerilla 
scares  nearly  every  day. 

"I  hope  before  another  year  I  will  be  home  for  good. 
When  I  get  there,  don't  expect  me  to  leave  the  dooryard, 
unless  I  am  obliged  to,  for  about  three  months." 

"May  18,  1864. — There  was  a  little  clash  yesterday 
en  the  railroad  beyond  Huntsville,  seventy  miles  from 
here,  but  it  did  not  amount  to  much.  We  are  progress 
ing  finely  with  our  fortifications.  The  army  in  front,  we 
hear,  is  forty  miles  south  of  Dalton,  and  the  rebels  are 
falling  back ;  but  we  get  no  particulars  of  operations 
there.  No  citizens  are  allowed  to  come  down  here  now. 
Mrs.  Kummel  is  still  in  Nashville,  and  is  unable  to  ob 
tain  permission  to  come.  The  reason  assigned  is  want  of 
transportation. 

"We  had  a  tragedy  here  last  night.  An  artillery 
man  shot  and  killed  a  young  woman  who  was  holding 
the  door  to  keep  him  out  of  the  house.  He  went  to  a 
window,  and  through  a  broken  pane  shot  her  in  the 
back.  She  died  in  an  hour.  The  man  was  drunk,  and  is 
in  custody. 

"I  have  just  received  orders  to  issue  rations  to  the 
families  of  soldiers  in  our  army.  There  are  many  of 
them  about  here  in  very  destitute  circumstances,  and 
this  order  will  prevent  much  suffering.  Several  com 
panies  of  cavalry  were  raised  in  this  vicinity  when  I 
was  here  last  fall." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Sun.,  May  22,  1864.— The  troops 
from  the  rear,  which  have  been  relieved  by  the  100-days 
men,  are  constantly  passing  through  here.  We  keep 
hearing  rumors  that  we  are  to  be  relieved  in  the  same 
way  before  long,  but  I  have  nothing  authentic  on  the 


142  REMINISCENCES 

subject.  I  should  not  be  surprised,  however,  if  the 
rumors  turn  out  true  and  we  go  farther  south;  but  as 
usual  it  will  probably  be  after  the  fighting  is  over. 

"We  get  no  particulars  from  the  front  except  that 
Sherman  is  pushing  on  for  Atlanta.  I  had  a  telegram 
from  him  yesterday,  dated  Kingston,  Ga.  The  army,  I 
learn,  is  some  distance  beyond  there." 

"May  26,  1864. — Granger's  brigade  is  ordered  to 
picket  the  north  bank  of  the  Tennessee  river  from  Stev 
enson  to  Decatur,  about  100  miles.  In  his  arrangement 
of  troops  we  will  be  about  in  the  center,  with  headquar 
ters  at  Claysville,  which  is  in  the  extreme  southern  bend 
of  the  river,  opposite  Gunthersville,  and  about  45  miles 
from  Stevenson.  It  is  barely  possible  that  my  regiment 
may  be  swung  around  on  the  river  right  here,  in  which 
case  headquarters  will  probably  remain  here  or  near 
this  place,  but  I  do  not  expect  it. 

"Everything  seems  to  move  right  in  front  and  on 
the  Potomac;  and  when  we  hear  of  successes  there  to 
cur  arms,  visions  of  peace  and  home  and  family  and 
loved  ones  become  very  bright.  Now  do  not  worry  about 
our  moving.  We  are  in  a  great  deal  more  danger  of 
being  struck  by  lightning  than  by  bullets  this  sum 
mer.  " 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Sun.,  May  29,  1864.— The  132d 
Indiana  (100-days  men)  arrived  here  last  evening  to 
relieve  us,  and  we  go  to  Claysville,  which  is  the  last  of 
the  poor  13th  for  the  next  100  days.  No  fighting,  no 
wounds,  no  glory  for  us.  Oh,  how  badly  you  will  feel 
about  it.  We  shall  not  leave,  I  think,  until  the  last  of 
the  week,  as  our  transportation  has  only  this  morning 
left  Nashville,  and  it  comes  through  by  land.  We  were 
all  well  satisfied  here,  and  yet  the  boys  never  left  a  place 
more  cheerfully. 

"The  country  where  we  go  has  not  been  so  badly 
devastated  as  this,  and  it  is  said  to  be  a  good  country. 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  143 

We  expect  to  revel  in  fruit.    The  peach  crop  will  be  very 
heavy  this  year. 

"I  learn  that  poor  George  Tout  was  killed.  He  was 
a  brave,  good  boy,  and  I  feel  great  sympathy  for  his 
family  and  friends." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Thursday,  June  2,  1864. — We  are 
still  here,  you  see,  but  hope  to  get  started  tomorrow.  We 
are  waiting  for  our  teams,  which  are  on  the  road  here 
from  Nashville  and  expected  tonight.  The  regiment  is 
together  now,  except  the  men  detailed  at  Nashville  and 
a  few  others.  They  make  a  fine  show. 

"Adjutant  Ruger  Avent  through  here  last  evening 
wounded.  He  was  struck  in  the  knee  by  a  piece  of  shell, 
bruising  him  pretty  badly ;  but  he  will  probably  recover 
without  any  permanent  injury  to  the  limb.  He  is  in  fine 
spirits.  This  occurred  a  wTeek  ago. 

"We  shall  be  able  to  take  all  of  our  traps,  and  the 
Adjutant  and  I  are  going  to  let  Jerry  do  our  cooking. 
We  rather  like  the  prospect  of  moving." 

"Stevenson,  Ala,,  Fri.,  June  3, 1864. — We  leave  here 
tomorrow  at  sunrise.  We  had  a  hard  rain  last  night, 
which  relieves  us  from  marching  in  the  dust.  The  22d, 
and  other  Wisconsin  regiments  in  this  department,  get 
hurt  occasionally,  I  see,  though  none  except  the  3d  have 
been  cut  up  very  badly  yet.  There  seems  to  be  plenty  of 
work  and  little  glory  for  the  poor  13th. 

"I  had  the  whole  regiment  on  dress  parade  last 
night,  and  it  made  a  superb  show.  I  felt  just  as  though 
I  should  like  to  try  their  mettle  where  the  bullets  fly. 

"The  new  troops  that  have  taken  our  place  are 
many  of  them  getting  sick.  We  are  toughened  to  the 
heat." 

"Bellefonte,  Jackson  County,  Ala.,  June  5,  1864.— 
We  left  Stevenson  yesterday  morning  at  eight  o'clock, 
in  the  midst  of  a  very  heavy  rain,  and  reached  this  point, 
14  miles  distant,  at  sundown.  We  had  several  hard 


144  REMINISCENCES 

showers  during  the  day,  but  the  boys  did  not  seem  to 
mind  it  much.  It  rained  all  night,  and  until  about  nine 
o'clock  this  morning,  which  makes  the  roads  very 
muddy ;  so  I  concluded  to  lay  over  today,  especially  as  it 
is  Sunday.  We  move  at  sunrise  tomorrow  morning, 
and  it  will  take  us  two  days  to  reach  our  destination, 
which  is  about  thirty  miles  from  here.  We  have  800 
men  and  20  teams,  and  make  quite  a  little  army. 

"The  country  over  which  we  marched  yesterday  was 
tolerably  level  and  looks  not  unlike  our  oak  openings  in 
Wisconsin,  though  the  soil  is  generally  thin  and  poor. 
The  road  was  bad  in  places,  and  we  were  detained  sev 
eral  times  by  wagons  breaking  down  or  getting  stuck  in 
the  mud.  We  learn  that  the  roads  are  better  ahead,  and 
the  mud  is  drying  rapidly  this  afternoon.  The  whole 
route  is  a  desert,  made  so  by  our  armies.  Fences  are 
destroyed,  and  nearly  all  the  plantations  are  deserted. 
Many  of  the  houses  have  been  burned  down,  and  there 
are  no  growing  crops. 

"The  Adjutant  and  I  rode  into  Bellefonte  last  night 
ahead  of  the  regiment,  and  such  a  picture  of  utter  deso 
lation  as  the  place  presents  I  have  seldom  seen,  even  in 
the  South.  The  village  is  the  county  seat  of  Jackson 
county,  and  was  once  about  half  the  size  of  Elkhorn, 
Wis.  Its  situation  is  not  unlike  that  of  Elkhorn,  being 
built  on  level  ground  around  a  public  square,  in  the  cen 
ter  of  which  once  stood  a  fine  court  house.  This  court 
house  wTas  burned  down  the  day  the  13th  marched 
through  here  last  September,  and  in  consequence  of  that 
coincidence  we  were  charged  with  burning  it ;  but  it  was 
not  so,  and  I  indignantly  denied  the  charge  and  de 
manded  the  proof.  It  has  not  been  produced.  At  that 
time  there  were  many  citizens  here.  Now  they  are  all  or 
nearly  all  gone,  and  every  building  is  nearly  destroyed. 
This  was  done  by  General  Sherman's  army  last  winter. 
The  frames  and  roofs  and  brick  walls  are  standing,  but 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  145 

the  siding  has  been  torn  off,  partitions  broken  down, 
floors  ripped  up,  and  doors  and  windows  all  carried 
away  or  destroyed.  The  fences,  too,  have  disappeared, 
and  the  whole  site  of  the  town,  gardens,  dooryards,  pub 
lic  square,  and  every  place  except  a  narrow  track  in  the 
center  of  the  street,  is  covered  with  a  rank  growth  of 
weeds. 

"When  we  came  in  a  dead  silence  brooded  over  the 
place.  There  was  no  sign  of  life  except  two  half-starved, 
poorly  clad  women,  slowly  making  their  way  through 
the  deserted  streets  on  two  lean  and  hungry-looking 
donkeys;  and  a  solitary  cow  feeding  upon  the  weeds  by 
the  roadside.  It  looked  like  a  fit  home  for  owls,  and 
bats  and  serpents,  and  it  was  difficult  to  realize  that  it 
was  ever  the  abode  of  man.  Yet  riding  about  the  town 
we  find  many  evidences  of  the  taste  and  refinement  of 
the  former  inhabitants.  The  ruins  of  what  were  once 
beautiful  flower  gardens  are  frequently  met  with,  and 
blooming  among  noxious  weeds  we  found  roses  and 
other  flowers  in  great  profusion,  which  in  variety  of 
coloring  and  brilliancy  of  tints  excel  anything  we  ever 
see  at  the  North. 

"The  people  are  fugitives  in  the  South.  Tney  are  all 
bitter  Secessionists,  and  they  are  now  reaping  the  ter 
rible  fruits  of  their  great  crime.  In  a  frenzy  of  unholy 
passion  they  sought  to  destroy  our  Government,  to  tear 
down  the  glorious  fabric  of  liberty,  which  was  our  com 
mon  heritage,  and  lo,  their  homes  are  a  desolation,  and 
they  and  their  wives  and  children,  like  Cain  of  old,  are 
wanderers  and  vagabonds  in  the  earth.  Like  Cain,  too, 
when  they  think  of  their  mansions  destroyed,  of  the  ruin 
that  reigns  where  once  they  dwelt,  of  the  peace  and  pros 
perity  and  happiness  they  once  enjoyed,  they  may  well 
exclaim,  'Our  punishment  is  greater  than  we  can  bear.' 
And  now,  having  indulged  in  a  little  highfalutin,  'merely 
to  show  you,'  as  Josh  Billings  says,  'that  I  ken  du  it,'  I 


146  REMINISCENCES 

will  come  down  to  matter  of  fact  things  and  inform  you 
that  the  peaches  are  as  large  as  butternuts,  and  the 
country  is  full  of  them.  Blackberries  are  nearly  full 
grown  and  turning  red;  raspberries  and  cherries  are 
ripe,  but  scarce. 

"It  will  be  several  days  before  I  can  get  another 
letter  to  the  postoffice  for  you." 

"Claysville,  Ala.,  June  8,  1864.— We  got  here  Jast 
night  after  a  rough  march,  but  all  well.  The  country  is 
very  pleasant.  Only  three  or  four  families  here.  Will 
give  you  full  particulars  in  my  next.  The  wagon  train 
is  just  leaving  for  Woodville  for  supplies.  We  are  not 
settled  yet. 

"The  journey  was  pretty  rough.  We  had  to  ford 
one  large  creek  where  the  water  was  up  to  the  horses' 
sides.  We  got  through  without  accident.  There  is  but 
one  decent  house  in  the  place,  and  in  it  lives  a  widow— 
an  old  lady — and  two  daughters,  young  women.  The 
Adjutant  and  I  took  possession  of  the  surplus  rooms  in 
the  house  for  headquarters,  and  we  have  made  an  ar 
rangement  by  which  the  family  do  the  cooking  and  wash 
ing.  They  are  poor  people,  but  neat  and  respectable,  a 
good  deal  above  the  average  of  poor  whites  down  here. 
I  think  that  they  do  not  chew  snuff,  although  I  am  not 
quite  sure  about  the  youngest  one.  All  we  pay  is  to 
furnish  provisions  for  the  whole.  They  seem  to  be  very 
economical,  and  I  think  we  shall  like  the  living.  They 
cook  well.  I  have  a  good  airy  room  up  stairs.  The  old 
lady  has  lent  me  a  feather  bed.  I  shall  fill  my  cotton 
tick  with  cotton,  of  which  there  is  plenty  here.  I  brought 
from  Stevenson  a  nice  camp  bedstead,  and  am  rigged  out 
very  comfortably  indeed. 

"I  have  four  companies,  B,  G,  C  and  I,  on  the  river, 
and  shall  send  out  three  more  tomorrow,  A,  F  and  D, 
leaving  with  me  H,  E  and  K.  Company  C  is  but  a  little 
over  a  mile  from  here.  They  exchange  shots  occasion- 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  147 


ally  with  bushwhackers,  but  it  is  too  far  to  do  any  execu 
tion.  There  seem  to  be  no  organized  bands  of  rebels  on 
this  side  of  the  river,  and  no  considerable  number  on 
the  other  side. 

"We  get  our  mail  from  Woodville,  twenty  miles  dis 
tant.  It  seems  odd  to  go  five  or  six  days  without  hearing 
a  word  from  the  outside  world,  yet  we  will  get  used  to  it 
after  a  little  I  suppose. 

"We  had  green  peas  and  mutton  for  dinner.  The 
peas  we  bought,  the  mutton  we  confiscated. 

"There  is  a  better  class  of  people  here  than  there 
was  at  Stevenson  or  Donelson.  They  are  cleaner  and 
more  intelligent,  and  generally  not  so  wretchedly  poor. 

"I  have  a  very  trusty,  honest  horse.  I  intended  to 
go  out  with  A,  F  and  D,  but  the  roads  are  so  bad  I  will 
not  go.  It  is  about  fifteen  miles  to  the  farthest  post,  and 
bad  roads  at  that.  It  is  quite  a  serious  thing  to  haul  all 
of  our  supplies  from  there.  I  am  trying  to  make  ar 
rangements  to  get  them  by  way  of  the  river. 

"We  suspect  that  old  Fever-and-ague  lives  down 
here  and  will  be  amongst  us  in  August  and  September. 
The  country  is  flat,  but  it  is  only  a  few  miles  to  the 
spurs  of  the  mountains.  Brigade  headquarters  are 
going  to  Decatur.  It  would  suit  me  just  as  well  if  they 
went  to  the  Isthmus  of  Suez.  .  They  do  not  disturb  us." 

"June  14,  1864. — I  have  been  down  to  the  river  to 
day.  Our  pickets  exchange  shots  with  the  rebels  on  the 
other  side  almost  every  day.  They  are  few  in  numbers, 
and  the  river  is  so  wide  that  it  is  a  harmless  amusement 
for  both  sides. 

"Colonel  Chapman  is  below  on  the  river  somewhere, 
and  I  expect  him  every  day.  The  18th  Wisconsin  is  on 
the  river  below  us.  I  have  got  the  companies  all  posted 
now,  and  intend  visiting  them  as  soon  as  Colonel  Chap 
man  gets  back." 


148  REMINISCENCES 


"Claysville,  Ala.,  Wed.  Eve.,  June  15,  1864.— I  got 
an  order  this  evening  to  send  four  companies  to  Whites- 
burg, -which  is  on  the  river  south  of  Huntsville,  and 
some  six  miles  below  our  present  beat.  The  Adjutant 
starts  in  the  morning  for  Huntsville  for  more  specific 
instructions;  so  I  improve  the  opportunity  to  let  you 
know  once  more  that  I  am  well.  I  do  not  expect  this 
order  will  involve  any  change  in  my  headquarters.  Col 
onel  Chapman,  I  hear,  is  at  Whitesburg  now,  waiting 
for  these  troops,  and  he  will  probably  remain  there  and 
take  care  of  that  end  of  the  route.  This  will  relieve  me 
from  a  good  deal  of  tramping." 

"Claysville,  Ala.,  June  16,  1864.— I  send  this  by 
Lieutenant  Balis,  who  goes  to  Woodville  in  the  morning; 
with  the  remains  of  his  brother,  who  died  this  afternoon 
of  pneumonia.  He  was  a  new  recruit,  about  35  years 
old,  and  leaves  a  wife  and  one  or  two  children.  He  was 
a  frail  man  and  ought  not  to  have  gone  into  the  service." 

"Claysville,  Ala,,  Sun.,  June  20,  1864.— Colonel 
Chapman  goes  tomorrow  morning  with  Companies  A.  B 
and  K  too  Whitesburg,  ten  miles  south  of  Huntsville, 
where  he  will  have  command. 

"It  seems  very  healthy  here.  The  regiment  is  un 
commonly  healthy.  We  shall  occupy  more  than  40  miles 
of  the  river.  I  shall  have  about  250  men  here,  or  close 
by.  We  are  making  arrangments  to  get  mails  and  sup 
plies  by  river. 

"We  are  not  entirely  out  of  the  world,  as  a  gunboat 
patrols  the  river  from  Bridgeport  to  Decatur  once  or 
twice  a  week ;  and  there  is  a  railroad  from  Nashville  to 
Decatur,  you  know.  This  boat  will  carry  us  up  and 
down  at  any  time. 

"We  hear  that  Forrest  has  whipped  us  near  Mem 
phis  and  is  making  his  way  to  Decatur.  This  will  give 
the  18th  Michigan  a  job,  if  true.  Colonel  Jim  Howe's 
brigade  is  there,  including  the  32d  Wisconsin.  General 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  149 

Granger  is  there,  too.  The  13th  Wisconsin  is  not  there. 
I  hear  that  the  8th  Wisconsin  is  at  Vicksburg  on  its  way 
home  on  veteran  furlough.  I  wish  you  to  show  all  pos 
sible  attention  to  my  Company  K  boys.  Tell  them  that 
I  do  not  do  much  fighting  now-a-days,  but  I  think  a 
heap  about  them." 

"Claysville,  Ala,,  June  26,  1864.— I  have  sent  two 
expeditions  across  the  river  the  past  week,  one  under 
the  Adjutant  to  Guntersville,  and  one  under  Captain 
Blake  into  the  country  a  few  miles  below  here.  They 
captured>quite  a  number  of  horses  and  mules,  and  Cap 
tain  Blake  captured  two  rebel  officers — Captains,  I 
think.  They  encountered  no  armed  force.  The  Adjutant 
captured  a  rebel  mail,  containing  many  papers  and  let 
ters.  I  send  you  two  of  these  specimens.  The  letters 
are  of  no  military  importance.  Most  of  them  were  writ 
ten  by  privates  in  Johnson's  and  Lee's  army,  and  the 
writers  all  think  that  they  are  whipping  us  badly  at  all 
points.  The  tone  of  all  the  rebel  papers  is  very  sanguine 
of  ultimate  success.  Never  was  any  people  so  blind  to 
their  real  condition  as  is  this  people.  One  fellow  writes 
in  May  from  somewhere  in  this  State  to  his  father  that 
Lee  has  just  defeated  Grant  in  a  great  battle,  and  that 
our  losses  amount  to  100,000  killed,  wounded  and  pris 
oners,  while  the  rebel  loss  is  but  trifling. 

"The  hot  weather  is  upon  us.  This  morning  is  clear 
and  still,  and  the  sun  lets  us  know  that  we  are  'down 
South.'  Standing  at  noon  with  my  back  to  the  sun,  my 
shadow  falls  just  two  inches  beyond  the  toes  of  my  boots. 
I  am  perfectly  well,  but  I  make  as  little  exertion  as  pos 
sible  during  the  day.  The  nights  are  comfortable. 

"My  regiment  is  so  scattered,  and  therefore  weak  at 
any  given  point,  that  although  there  is  no  force  of  the 
enemy  very  near  any  part  of  our  line,  yet  I  can  but  feel 
constant  anxiety.  Indeed,  I  think  I  am  leading  a  more 
anxious  life  than  ever  before  in  the  service.  The  fact  is, 


150  REMINISCENCES 

we  are  doing  the  duty  and  bearing  the  responsibility 
that  ought  to  be  divided  between  two  regiments.  I  find 
that  I  have  a  good  horse,  and  I  ride  much  more  than  I 
ever  did  before.  I  can  not  realize  that  I  have  been  in 
Wisconsin  within  three  months.  I  never  felt  so  isolated 
in  my  life." 

"Claysville,  Ala.,  Thurs.,  June  30,  1864.— It  is 
muster  day,  and  I  am  very  busy.  Yesterday  I  visited 
Company  I,  six  miles  below  here.  The  road  runs  over  a 
mountain  and  the  scenery  is  very  fine.  This  afternoon 
I  go  up  the  river  six  miles  to  Company  G  to  muster  it. 

"Lieut.  Pish  made  a  raid  across  the  river  and  cap 
tured  a  rebel,  Colonel  Smith.  He  is  here,  and  very  much 
of  a  gentleman.  He  does  not  say  so,  but  he  acts  just  as 
though  he  were  well  satisfied  to  be  in  our  hands.  He 
will  be  sent  to  Nashville.* 

"There  is  a  rebel  force  about  forty  miles  from  us, 
at  Gadsden,  on  the  Coosa  river,  about  3,000  strong, 
under  General  Pillow.  The  same  force  attacked  La 
Fayette  the  other  day  and  were  repulsed.  I  rather  hope 
they  will  give  us  a  call,  just  for  variety,  but  do  not  ex 
pect  it." 

"Claysville,  Ala.,  July  2,  1864.— Captain  Hewitt 
will  be  detailed  as  Assistant  Ordinance  Officer  to  Cap 
tain  Townsend  at  Nashville,  and  his  wife  can  get  to  him 
without  any  difficulty  when  the  weather  will  admit." 

"Claysville,  Ala.,  July  6,  1864.— Captain  Hart  cap 
tured  a  rebel  mail,  and  I  spent  the  forenoon  in  reading 
the  letters.  They  are  all  confident  of  whipping  Grant 
and  Sherman  just  as  they  did  Banks.  They  expect  to 
be  in  Tennessee  during  the  summer.  I  don't  know  but 
they  will  be." 

"Claysville,  Ala.,  July  11,  1864. — Yesterday  I  was 
in  the  saddle  all  day  visiting  my  command  on  the  river. 

*  He  was  a  splendid  fellow.  I  said,  "Colonel,  you  do  not  want  me 
to  put  a  guard  over  you.  You  will  have  to  go  up  to  Nashville  after  a 
little,  but  now  you  are  my  guest" — W.  P.  L. 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  151 

I  rode  about  16  miles  on  Saturday ;  the  day  before,  eight 
miles.  Tomorrow  I  start  on  a  trip  to  visit  Companies  P 
and  D,  down  the  river,  and  shall  be  absent  about  three 
days.  I  take  a  company  of  home  scouts  I  am  organiz 
ing  here,  as  an  escort,  although  there  is  no  enemy  on  our 
route  that  we  know  of.  Still,  in  this  country  we  always 
go  prepared  for  emergencies. 

"You  ask  me  if  I  am  not  in  a  great  deal  of  danger 
here.  I  don't  know.  If  only  a  moderate  sized  force  of 
the  enemy  attacks  us,  no ;  if  a  large  force,  yes.  We  are 
building  strong  fortifications  on  the  river,  and  expect  to 
have  three  or  four  gunboats  patrolling  it  in  a  few  weeks ; 
and  if  Sherman  is  successful  in  defeating  Johnson,  I 
do  not  think  that  we  shall  have  any  trouble.  I  have  a 
good  deal  of  business  here  with  citizens.  As  there  is  no 
civil  law  or  courts,  I  am  judge,  jury,  arbitrator,  and 
guardian  for  the  whole  country.  An  old  woman  is  talk 
ing  to  me  now,  boring  me  to  death  with  a  long  story 
about  another  old  woman,  her  neighbor,  who  she  thinks 
is  a  rebel  and  a  very  dangerous  character.  I  write  this, 
with  her  talking  persistently.  I  say  'yes/  and  -'really,' 
occasionally,  and  that  satisfies  her.  The  most  of  the 
people  here  are  well  disposed,  and  many  of  them,  par 
ticularly  the  poor  class,  are  truly  loyal.  The  old  lady 
has  finished  her  story,  and  so  have  I." 

"Clarksville,  Ala.,  July  13,  1864.— Here  I  am,  tired 
as  a  dog.  I  left  Claysville  yesterday  morning  and  have 
just  got  here,  having  traveled  over  mountains,  through 
swamps  and  canebrakes,  escorted  by  about  30  Union 
guerillas,  or  home  guards. 

"Stayed  last  night  at  Company  D's,  and  expect  to 
get  back  there  tonight,  and  home  tomorrow  night.  This 
point  is  on  the  Tennessee  river,  half  way  between  Flint 
and  Paintrock  rivers,  and  some  20  miles  below  Clays 
ville.  It  is  the  headquarters  of  Company  F,  Captain 
Hart. 


152  REMINISCENCES 

"I  have  passed  through  some  wild,  magnificent 
scenery  on  this  trip,  which  I  have  no  time  to  describe.  I 
can  write  but  little  this  time,  but  was  not  willing  to  let 
this  anniversary  of  your  birthday  pass  without  letting 
you  know  that  I  remembered  it." 

"Claysville,  Ala.,  Fri.,  July  15,  1864  (at  sunrise).— 
You  will  think  it  strange  that  I  am  writing  to  you  at 
this  time  of  day.  I  will  tell  you  how  it  happened.  I  got 
back  from  my  trip,  concerning  which  I  have  already 
written  you,  yesterday  afternoon,  and  went  to  bed  at 
nine  last  night,  very  tired  and  sleepy,  I  assure  you.  Be 
tween  11  and  12  o'clock  Johnny  (my  orderly)  burst  into 
my  room  with,  'Colonel,  the  rebels  are  crossing  the  river 
with  a  large  force  down  at  the  landing/  (This  is  where 
Lieut.  Fish  is  stationed,  one  mile  from  headquarters. )  I 
was  sleeping  very  soundly,  but  managed  to  tumble  out 
of  bed,  wondering  why  they  couldn't  just  as  well  have 
waited  until  morning.  So  I  dressed,  and  Jerry  saddled 
the  horse,  and  off  the  Adjutant  and  I  galloped  to  the 
river  (I  am  getting  to  be  a  famous  horseman).  There 
we  found  every  evidence  that  there  was  a  large  force, 
and  a  very  demonstrative  one,  on  the  other  bank.  We 
supposed  that  they  had  artillery  from  the  noise  made 
by  their  wagon  train.  So  we  went  to  work  collecting  our 
men,  notifying  the  other  companies  on  the  river,  sending 
out  scouts  and  patrols,  and  making  every  possible  ar 
rangement  for  the  battle  that  we  expected  to  fight  at 
daylight  this  morning.  But  daylight  came  and  revealed 
to  us  a  large  force  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  but  tbe 
men  were  all  in  blue. 

"It  turned  out  to  be  a  large  scout  from  Decatur,  of 
which  we  had  received  no  notice.  We  the  more  readily 
believed  it  a  rebel  force  from  the  fact  that  only  last 
Tuesday  morning  Lieut.  Fish  was  across  the  river  with 
only  eight  men  and  was  attacked  by  between  forty  and 
fifty  rebel  cavalry,  fought  them,  and  with  the  aid  of  a 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  153 

few  of  our  men,  who  succeeded  in  getting  on  an  island 
near  by,  whipped  them  handsomely.  The  rebels  admit  a 
loss  of  three  killed  and  four  wounded.  Not  a  man  of 
ours  received  a  scratch.  It  was  almost  a  miracle. 

"I  wondered  often  during  the  night  what  you  would 
think  had  you  known  that  we  were  passing  the  hours  of 
the  night  in  the  trenches,  expecting  a  fight  in  the  morn 
ing;  but  the  luck  of  the  13th  still  clings  to  them,  and 
nobody  is  hurt. 

"The  force  on  the  other  side  sent  over  a  wounded 
officer,  and  behold,  it  was  Captain  Wilcox,  of  the  5th 
Iowa  Cavalry,  an  old  friend.  He  got  a  charge  of  buck 
shot  in  the  hip  the  other  day  on  a  raid  south  of  this.  He 
is  doing  well. 

"I  find  on  going  to  my  room  that  Jerry  has  packed 
and  boxed  all  of  my  traps,  and  had  them  ready  to  load  on 
the  wagon  in  case  we  were  worsted.  I  gave  him  no  direc 
tions  about  them — did  not  even  think  of  them.  During 
the  night,  the  Adjutant,  who  remained  at  headquarters, 
tells  me,  Jerry  volunteered  to  go  one  and  a  half  miles 
alone  to  call  in  an  outpost,  and  went.  He  was  as  cool 
and  brave  as  any  of  the  soldiers." 

"July  17, 1864. — I  received  a  dispatch  from  General 
Granger,  who  is  at  Decatur,  sent  through  a  courier  from 
Larkinsville,  saying  that  if  the  rebels  were  crossing  the 
river  I  must  concentrate  and  hold  out  as  long  as  pos 
sible. 

"I  have  heard  from  Colonel  Chapman.  He  had 
heard  that  we  were  falling  back  towards  Woodville,  and 
had  concentrated  his  detachment  at  Whitesburg.  I  fear 
this  scare  will  get  into  the  newspapers  and  alarm  our 
friends  at  home.  I  expect  to  see  a  statement  published 
to  the  effect  that  Forrest,  with  15,000  men  and  20  pieces 
of  artillery,  forced  his  way  across  the  Tennessee  river 
here,  cut  the  13th  to  pieces,  killing,  capturing  and  scat 
tering  the  whole  command,  and  that  Colonel  Lyon  is 


154  REMINISCENCES 

among  the  missing — supposed  to  be  killed,  as  he  was 
seen  to  fall  from  his  horse.  Not  much !  Be  easy  about 
us.  I  shall  fight  all  that  come,  and  unless  they  have  a 
good  deal  of  artillery  I  shall  successfully  resist  the  pass 
age  of  this  river  by  any  force  short  of  an  army.  I  don't 
think  we  are  in  any  great  peril,  although  we  may  be 
compelled  to  do  some  fighting.  We  are  now  very  well 
fortified  against  a  river  attack,  and  are  building  block 
houses,  artillery  proof,  in  which  we  could  stand  a  siege 
if  driven  to  it.  When  these  are  completed  we  are  safe 
from  capture. 

"My  trip  last  week,  although  fatiguing,  was  very 
interesting.  I  rode  half  a  mile  under  a  precipice  called 
Paintrock,  several  hundred  feet  high,  along  a  narrow 
bridle  path,  running  under  projections  of  the  cliff  fre 
quently,  and  a  precipice  50  to  100  feet  deep  below  us,  at 
the  bottom  of  which  is  the  river.  In  some  places  it  was 
dark  enough  for  late  twilight,  although  it  was  the  mid 
dle  of  a  very  bright  afternoon." 

"July  19. — You  do  not  write  much  about  the  8th 
Wisconsin.  I  suppose  they  are  soon  to  leave  again.  God 
bless  them,  wherever  they  are.  A  braver  and  truer  set 
of  men  never  faced  an  enemy." 

"Claysville,  Ala.,  Sat,  July  23,  1864.— We  have 
heard  a  good  deal  of  distant  cannonading  for  three  or 
four  days  in  the  direction  of  Blue  Mountain,  60  or  70 
miles  from  here,  where  Pillow's  force  used  to  be.  We 
think  General  Rousseau  is  down  there  fighting  him.  Cap 
tain  Ruger  is  with  Rousseau. 

"Everything  is  quiet  here  in  this  vicinity.  Yester 
day  I  rode  up  to  Company  G  and  back  (six  miles),  and 
this  afternoon  I  am  going  to  Company  I,  five  miles  down 
the  river,  returning  tomorrow.  I  ride  like  a  Te&ican, 
and  begin  to  like  the  saddle." 

"Claysville,  Ala.,  Wed.,  July  27,  1864.— I  rode  over 
to  Fort  Deposit  (Co.  I)  after  writing  to  you  Saturday. 


OP  THE  CIVIL  WAR  155 

Returned  here  Sunday  night.  I  had  a  visit  from  Colonel 
Anderson,  llth  Indiana  Cavalry,  who  is  chasing  and 
killing  guerillas  out  towards  Huntsville.  He  used  to 
preach  in  Chicago  and  latterly  in  Michigan  City.  I 
think  he  is  one  of  the  roughest  men  I  have  met  lately ; 
but  he  is  talented  and  brave.  I  rode  over  to  Deposit  with 
him  on  Monday  morning,  and  returnd  the  same  day. 
Was  accompanied  by  an  ex-Captain  of  the  18th  Michi 
gan,  who  has  been  here  a  week  buying  cotton.  His  name 
is  Stevens.  He  resigned  and  turned  speculator. 

"We  heard  of  a  small  force  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  and  on  Sunday  night  I  let  Captain  Kingman  have 
over  100  men  to  go  over  to  try  to  get  them.  The  gang 
got  away,  however.  Everything  is  quiet  now  on  both 
sides  of  the  river.  The  people  on  the  south  side  are 
anxiously  inquiring  what  they  shall  do  to  be  saved. 

Kingman's  advance  guard  had  a  skirmish  with  a 
lot  of  rebels  near  a  house  where  they  had  been  getting 
breakfast,  the  owner  belonging  to  the  gang.  The  Cap 
tain  burned  the  house,  very  properly.  We  send  all  dis 
satisfied  or  dangerous  persons  across  the  river.  I  tell 
them  that  I  would  rather  fight  them  than  watch  them. 

"The  regiment  keeps  very  healthy,  except  Company 
K,  at  W^hitesburg.  That  company  has  from  20  to  30  sick 
in  it.  I  intend  to  go  there  and  to  Decatur  within  a  few 
days. 

"Lieut.  Parker  commands  Company  E.  Captain 
Hewitt  is  Assistant  Ordnance  Officer  with  Captain 
Townsend.  Captain  Kummel  has  the  same  position  at 
Chattanooga  on  General  Thomas'  staff.  Captain  Noyes 
is  on  a  Court-Martial  at  Nashville." 

"Decatur,  Ala.,  Sun.,  Aug.  7,  1864.— I  am  on  an 
expedition.  I  left  Claysville  yesterday  morning,  reached 
Huntsville  last  night,  and  came  here  this  morning.  I 
rode  part  of  the  way  to  Woodville  in  an  ambulance  and 


156  REMINISCENCES 

part  of  the  way  on  horseback.  My  trip  is  doing  me  lots 
of  good.  Captain  Hart  is  with  me. 

"The  32d  Wisconsin  (Colonel  Howe's  regiment), 
which  has  been  here  several  months,  left  two  or  three 
days  since  for  the  front.  Colonel  Howe  has  resigned.  I 
have  been  here  with  General  Granger  all  the  morning. 
He  told  me  that  our  brigade,  before  we  came  down  here, 
was  ordered  to  the  front  and  the  order  was  counter 
manded.  There  seems  to  be  no  prospect  now  of  our  mov 
ing  anywhere  very  soon.  I  go  back  to  Huntsville  to 
night  and  shall  probably  go  to  Whitesburg  (10  miles) 
tomorrow.  I  thought  some  of  going  to  Nashville,  but 
found  I  could  transact  all  my  business  here  and  was  glad 
to  get  rid  of  the  trip." 

"Claysville,  Ala,,  Thurs.,  Aug.  11,  1864.— I  have 
just  got  back  from  my  trip,  tired  but  well.  I  stayed 
three  nights  at  Huntsville,  one  at  Whitesburg  with  Col 
onel  Chapman,  and  last  night  with  Company  G  at  Law's 
Landing.  I  saw  Captain  Woodman,  Captain  Norcross, 
Dr.  Smith,  Lieutenants  Brown,  Wemple,  Button  and 
Murray,  who  is  sick  in  Huntsville. 

"I  suppose  there  is  a  good  deal  of  squirming  about 
the  coming  draft,  and  I  really  sympathize  with  many  of 
those  who  will  be  drawn,  for  I  know  from  the  experience 
of  these  long,  weary,  anxious  years  what  a  terrible  thing 
it  is  to  be  separated  from  wife,  children  and  home,  and 
to  be  surrounded  by  peril,  suffering  and  death  for  so 
long  a  time ;  yet  I  do  not  know  that  it  is  any  harder  for 
them  than  it  is  for  those  who  are  already  in  the  service. 
Besides,  this  draft  is  only  for  a  year.  Efforts  are  being 
made  to  get  negroes  here  to  fill  the  quotas  of  some  locali 
ties,  but  without  much  success.  The  soldiers  are 
strongly  opposed  to  it  and  throw  every  obstacle  in  the 
way  of  the  recruiting  agents," 

"Claysville,  Ala.,  Thursday,  Aug.  18,  1864.— Every 
thing  is  quiet  here.  Occasionally  a  scouting  party  of 


OF  THE   CIVIL  WAK  157 

rebels  make  their  appearance  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river  and  fire  across  at  our  pickets,  but  they  do  not  stay 
long.  Yesterday  this  occurred  opposite  Company  C. 
They  are  careful  to  keep  the  river  between  them  and  us. 
There  are  guerillas  in  the  mountains  on  this  side,  but 
they  never  come  on  our  beat.  These  fellows  always  give 
cavalry  a  wide  berth,  but  they  sometimes  pitch  into  in 
fantry. 

"A  great  many  deserters,  contrabands  and  refugees 
come  to  us  from  the  other  side.  We  send  them  North. 
Some  of  the  deserters  enlist  in  our  regiment.  They  tell 
the  same  story  of  despondency,  destitution,  and  a  grow 
ing  Union  sentiment  in  the  South.  Lieut.  Murray  is 
very  sick  at  Hunts ville.  Fears  are  entertained  that  he 
will  not  recover." 

"Aug.  20,  1864.— The  Adjutant  has  just  returned 
from  an  inspection  tour  down  the  line.  There  is  a  rebel 
force  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  as  near  as  I  can 
learn.  About  a  regiment  recently  came  in  there.  I 
suppose  they  are  going  to  picket  that  side  of  the  river 
and  try  to  keep  us  on  our  side.  Five  of  Company  A 
men  were  captured  across  the  river  on  Thursday,  near 
the  mouth  of  Flint  river,  twenty  miles  below.  They 
were  over  there  and  were  decoyed  away  from  the  river, 
surrounded  and  captured — no  one  hurt." 

"Claysville,  Ala.,  Tues.,  Aug.  23,  1864.— The  rebels 
are  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  in  some  force,  but  they 
do  not  act  at  all  threatening.  They  seem  to  be  doing  the 
same  duty  on  that  side  of  the  river  that  we  are  doing  on 
this  side — that  is,  picketing  the  river  and  watching  us. 
Thus  far  they  have  shown  no  disposition  to  get  across, 
but  of  course  I  know  nothing  of  their  intentions.  We, 
however,  keep  a  strict  watch  on  them.  They  appear  to 
be  in  our  front  from  here  to  Whitesburg. 

"The  river  is  getting  quite  high  and  two  gunboats 
passed  down  yesterday  to  Decatur.  It  is  rather  agree- 


158  KEMINISCENCES 

able  to  have  these  fellows  about  when  there  is  an  enemy 
near  us.  It  seems  a  little  more  like  war  to  see  an  enemy 
occasionally,  but  I  do  not  expect  to  have  a  fight  with 
them  unless  I  go  over  there  after  it,  which  I  may  do  when 
I  ascertain  more  about  their  position  and  strength.  How 
ever,  I  shall  take  no  unnecessary  risks." 

"Claysville,  Ala.,  Sun.,  Aug.  29,  1864. — I  have  rid 
den  fifteen  miles  today.  I  am  now  with  Company  C  at 
our  landing,  waiting  the  return  of  a  gunboat  that  passed 
down  the  river  this  morninig  convoying  a  steamer  loaded 
with  supplies  for  the  regiment. 

"There  is  undoubtedly  quite  a  large  rebel  force  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river  a  few  miles  back  in  the  coun 
try.  I  hear  they  intend  to  try  to  cross  the  river.  I  think 
the  gunboats  and  the  13th  together  can  prevent  them 
from  doing  it,  and  if  the  gunboats  are  not  here  when 
they  attempt  it,  the  13th  will  try  to  do  it  alone.  The 
river  is  high  now  and  they  can  only  cross  in  boats,  which 
I  understand  they  are  building  for  the  purpose.  It  is 
quite  possible  that  we  shall  have  a  brush  with  them,  and 
if  we  do — there  is  so  much  solicitude  felt  about  our  abil 
ity  to  hold  this  line — you  will  hear  all  sorts  of  exag 
gerated  reports  from  us  through  the  papers  before  we 
can  get  any  news  to  you.  Pay  no  attention  to  these  re 
ports  unless  they  are  favorable;  and  if  you  hear  direct 
from  us,  which  will  be  as  speedily  as  possible  after  any 
thing  of  interest  transpires,  I  will  keep  you  posted  as 
to  our  situation,  as  I  always  have  done. 

"On  Thursday  last  a  party  of  rebels  came  opposite 
Law's  Landing  and  fired  at  Company  G,  stationed  there. 
Lieut.  Balis  sent  over  a  party  of  men  soon  after,  who 
came  up  to  the  rear  guard  of  the  rebels  and  killed  two  of 
them.  A  woman  wanted  to  cross  there  and  our  boys  had 
promised  to  bring  her  over.  She  had  gone  down  to  call 
them  across  the  river,  when  the  rebels  first  made  their 
appearance,  secreting  themselves  so  that  our  men  could 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  159 

not  see  them,  and  insisted  that  she  should  call  our  boys 
over,  in  which  case  they  could  easily  be  captured  or 
killed;  but  she  absolutely  refused  to  do  so,  and  no  en 
treaties  or  threats  could  shake  her  resolution.  She 
sat  down  and  told  them  that  they  might  kill  her  as  quick 
as  they  pleased,  but  she  would  not,  even  for  the  sake  of 
her  life,  do  so  base  an  act.  They  then  commenced  firing. 
The  party  from  Company  G  brought  her  back  with  them. 
I  have  not  seen  her.  She  is  a  Union  woman  and  a  hero 
ine. 

"On  Thursday  night  Captain  Blake,  who  is  located 
ten  miles  down  the  river,  got  information  that  a  force 
was  intending  to  cross  that  night  near  his  post.  I  put 
the  whole  line  in  the  best  possible  shape  for  defense  and 
went  to  Deposit,  where  Company  I  is  stationed.  I  was 
up  nearly  all  night  making  arrangements  to  meet  the 
attack,  and  in  the  morning  went  down  to  Captain 
Blake's.  No  demonstration  was  made  on  us,  however, 
and  I  returned  to  headquarters  on  Friday  afternoon. 
While  the  enemy  is  in  our  immediate  front  I  expect  but 
little  bodily  or  mental  rest." 

"Claysville,  Ala.,  Tues.,  2  a.  m.,  Aug.  30, 1864.— You 
will  wonder  why  I  am  writing  to  you  at  this  time  in  the 
morning.  I  will  tell  you.  We  had  information  that  a 
large  force  of  rebels  was  in  our  immediate  front,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river.  I  spent  the  whole  day  yesterday 
in  preparing  for  an  attack,  which  I  confidently  expected 
before  long.  Last  evening  Sergeant  Moulton  came  up 
here  from  his  station  on  the  river  and  told  me  that  he 
had  information  from  the  same  source  that  this  force 
received  orders  on  Sunday  to  repair  at  once  to  Atlanta 
and  that  they  all  left  for  that  place  on  that  day  and  yes 
terday  ;  that  his  informant  saw  the  last  piece  of  artillery 
leave;  and,  further,  that  the  rebels  had  13  pieces  of 
artillery.  I  felt  greatly  relieved,  and  not  having  slept 


160  REMINISCENCES 

much  the  night  before  I  congratulated  myself  on  a  good 
night's  sleep  in  prospect. 

"I  had  just  sat  down  to  write  some  dispatches  to 
General  Granger  to  send  off  in  the  morning,  when  I  re 
ceived  a  note  from  Lieut.  Fish  saying  that  a  force  had 
made  its  apperance  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  This 
was  about  eight  o'clock.  I  immediately  went  down  to 
his  camp  and  found  that  a  force  has  really  come  into 
Guntersville,  which  is  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  from 
the  river.  It  was  after  dark  and  they  could  see  nothing, 
but  they  could  hear  commands  given.  I  am  satisfied  that 
the  force  is  not  large,  and  that  it  has  no  artillery;  yet 
their  presence  made  ic  necessary  to  use  all  precautions 
against  a  surprise  or  an  attack,  and  that  along  my  whole 
line,  for  their  making  their  appearance  here  was  no  evi 
dence  that  they  would  not  strike  at  some  other  point 
should  they  attack  us,  but  rather  the  contrary.  So  I 
came  back  here  and  have  been  engaged  ever  since  in 
sending  off  orders  and  dispatches.  I  expect  some  gun 
boats  down  today  from  Bridgeport,  and  when  they  get 
here  I  shall  feel  easier." 

"Claysville,  Ala,,  Tues.  Eve.,  Aug.  30,  1864.— The 
rebel  force  has  certainly  left  our  front.  There  are  two 
gunboats  here  tonight,  and  they  will  be  constantly  along 
our  line  hereafter.  We  have  been  in  great  peril,  but  I 
think  the  danger  permanently  passed.  We  shall  have 
no  serious  trouble  here  now  for  some  time,  if  at  all." 


OP  THE  CIVIL  WAR 


161 


untsville,  Ala.,  Sat.,  Sept  3,  1864.— I 
have  been  knocking  about  consider 
ably  since  I  wrote  to  you  last.  Wed 
nesday  I  got  an  order  to  concentrate 
my  end  of  the  regiment,  except  one 
company,  at  Woodville.  That  evening 
I  started  out  with  E  and  H,  went  four 
miles.  The  next  morning  took  G  and 
got  to  Woodville  at  noon.  Soon  after 
I  and  D  arrived.  I  supposed  we  were  on  an  expedition 
after  Wheeler  or  some  of  these  raiders  who  are  playing 
smash  in  our  rear;  but  when  I  got  there  I  found  dis 
patches  from  General  Granger  ordering  me  to  come  here 
and  take  command  of  the  railroad  and  all  of  the  troops 
on  it  from  here  to  Stevenson,  together  with  all  of  the 
troops  at  this  place. 

"I  came  down  here  last  evening  on  the  cars,  and  sent 
back  a  special  train  and  brought  down  the  men  this 
morning.  I  found  Colonel  Chapman  here  with  A  and  B. 
K  is  at  Whitesburg  and  C  at  Claysville.  F  is  on  the  road 
here.  The  Adjutant,  Jerry,  and  a  good  many  men  with 
the  ague  are  at  Claysville.  General  Granger  is  up  the 
railroad  somewhere  at  a  threatened  point  and  I  have 
not  seen  him.  I  have  sent  for  the  Adjutant  and  Jerry. 

"We  are  cut  off  from  Nashville  and  I  don't  know 
when  you  will  get  this  lettter.  Wheeler  has  been  in 
there  and  cut  the  railroads.  I  will  write  just  the  same. 
I  have  just  issued  an  order  assuming  my  command.  The 
General  in  his  order  gives  me  power  to  move  troops 
wherever  I  think  they  are  needed,  and  orders  me  to  meet 
the  enemy  wherever  they  make  their  appearance  and 
'Strike  to  scatter  and  destroy.' 

"We  shall  have  rooms  for  the  present  in  one  of  the 
largest  houses  in  town,  owned  and  occupied  by  an  old 
widow,  Mrs.  Rice." 


162  REMINISCENCES 

"Headquarters,  R.  R.  Defenses,  M.  &  C.  R.  R., 
Huntsville,  Ala.,  Sept,  6,  1864. — I  give  you  the  name  of 
my  establishment.  I  think  it  quite  showy.  We  have 
just  located  this  afternoon.  We  have  nice  quarters.  The 
Adjutant  and  I  each  have  a  large,  carpeted,  well  furn 
ished  room,  in  the  second  story  of  a  large  mansion  very 
pleasantly  located.  W^e  have  a  kitchen  in  the  back  yard, 
where  we  are  to  eat  and  where  old  Minty,  our  cook,  lives. 
Jerry,  Johnny,  and  our  clerk  have  pitched  their  tents 
just  back  of  the  house,  and  we  have  altogether  the  coziest 
headquarters  you  ever  saw. 

"I  expect  communications  will  be  opened  to  Nash 
ville  by  tomorrow,  via  Stevenson.  You  will  learn 
enough  of  Wheeler's  raid  by  the  newspapers  not  to  be 
surprised  at  getting  no  letters  from  me.  Wheeler  is  west 
of  us,  and  our  troops  are  driving  him  toward  the  Muscle 
Shoals.  General  Steadman  went  through  here  today  with 
a  considerable  force  to  join  Rousseau  and  Granger. 

"There  is  quite  a  large  force  of  guerrillas  south  of 
the  railroad  on  my  beat  that  I  intend  to  drive  out  as  soon 
as  General  Granger  returns  and  I  can  get  some  cavalry. 

"Lieut.  Graham  was  coming  through  with  our 
wagon  train,  and  camped  last  night  four  miles  out  of 
WToodville.  I  hear  he  was  attacked  in  the  night  and  that 
Company  F,  which  had  just  reached  Woodville,  has  gone 
out  to  help  him.  I  do  not  know  the  result,  but  shall  in  a 
few  hours. 

"Company  F  had  a  man  shot  and  captured  the 
night  before  they  left  the  river.  He  was  carrying  dis 
patches,  and  is  supposed  to  be  mortally  wounded.  So 
you  see  we  have  war  even  here." 

"Sept.  11,  1864. — I  will  write  again  from  force  of 
habit,  for  the  cars  do  not  yet  run  to  Nashville  and  two 
letters  that  I  have  written  to  you  still  lie  in  the  post- 
office  at  this  place.  We  learn  that  the  railroads  are 
nearly  repaired.  General  Granger  has  not  yet  returned 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  163 

to  Huntsville,  and  I  am  tied  up  here  until  he  does  re 
turn  ;  then  I  propose  to  make  an  inspection  tour  to  Stev 
enson  and  back,  and  an  expedition  southeast  towards 
Claysville,  to  clear  the  country  of  guerillas. 

"Quite  a  number  of  the  men  are  sick  with  chills  and 
fever,  caused  by  malaria.  Captain  Norcross  and  Dr. 
Horton  went  to  Nashville  just  before  the  raid  and  have 
not  been  able  to  get  back.  I  have  sent  Captain  Kingman 
to  Whitesburg  with  a  detachment  of  seventy-five  men 
taken  from  all  of 'the  companies.  It  is  a  sickly  hole  and 
I  intend  to  change  the  men  there  as  often  as  once  a  week. 
Company  C,  with  the  band  and  a  lot  of  convalescents,  is 
still  at  Claysville  Landing.  I  have  not  heard  from  them 
for  several  days,  I  have  no  fears  for  their  safety.  They 
are  strongly  fortified  and  the  gunboats  are  frequently 
there. 

"I  told  you  in  my  last  of  an  attack  made  on  Com 
pany  F.  It  was  a  mistake.  The  attack  was  made  on  a 
company  of  home  guards,  about  a  mile  from  the  train- 
one  killed  and  one  wounded  on  each  side,  and  ten  of  the 
guards  (who  are  loyal  men)  captured.  They  were  sur 
prised  by  guerrillas. 

"It  is  a  paradise  here,  where  the  rude  hand  of  war 
has  not  desolated  it.  Huntsville  is  a  beautiful  town. 
Before  the  war  there  was  much  wealth  in  it,  and  it  was 
the  pride  of  the  South.  The  city  has  not  been  torn  up 
much,  but  the  country  about  is  devastated. 

"General  Granger,  I  hear,  is  expected  tonight," 

"Stevenson,  Wed.,  Sept.  14,  1864. — I  am  here  on  an 
inspecting  tour  of  railroad  defenses.  I  came  yesterday, 
leaving  Huntsville  on  Monday.  Went  to  Bridgeport  last 
night,  returning  early  this  morning.  I  have  written  sev 
eral  letters  during  the  blockade  and  you  may  receive 
this  one  first  of  all.  Colonel  Anderson,  of  the  12th  In 
diana  Cavalry,  which  is  a  part  of  my  command,  is  with 
me.  Dr.  Horton  came  here  this  morning  from  Nashville, 


164  REMINISCENCES 

where  he  has  been  during  the  interruption  of  our  com 
munication." 

"Huntsville,  Ala,,  Sun.,  Sept.  18,  1864.— I  wrote  to 
you  from  Stevenson  last  Wednesday,  returned  here  the 
same  night,  and  on  Friday  I  received  four  letters  from 
you.  What  a  feast  I  had ! 

"Everything  is  quiet  here  except  that  there  is  a  gang 
of  guerillas  between  the  railroad  and  Tennessee  river, 
variously  estimated  at  from  75  to  250  strong,  under  one 
Johnson,  a  Methodist  preacher.  They  'do  not  disturb  the 
railroad  thus  far,  but  rob  and  murder  Union  men 
wherever  they  find  them  defenceless.  General  Granger 
has  promised  me  some  troops  to  make  an  expedition 
after  them  in  a  few  days. 

"The  13th  has  been  sent  out  on  the  railroad  to  take 
the  place  of  another  regiment,  the  12th  Indiana  Cavalry, 
sent  to  Tullahoma.  The  regiment  garrisons  the  defense 
of  the  railroad  to  Woodville,  twenty-four  miles  towards 
Stevenson.  Company  C  is  still  at  Claysville  Landing, 
and  Captain  Kingman,  with  75  or  80  men,  is  at  Whites- 
burg.  While  I  have  my  present  command  I  shall  »§e- 
main  here. 

"I  think  I  have  met  with  a  loss  here  in  the  way  of 
horses.  Now  'horses'  is  rather  a  delicate  subject  for  me 
to  write  to  you  upon,  but  I  will  venture.  The  one  I 
bought  in  Stevenson  got  lame,  and  I  took  a  captured 
horse  to  ride  in  his  place.  Mine  got  well,  but  I  liked  the 
other  and  kept  him.  Both  turned  out  to  be  capital,  good 
animals,  and  last  Wednesday  both  of  them  were  stolen 
out  of  a  little  yard  where  they  were  feeding,  right  in 
the  middle  of  this  town.  No  one  is  to  blame  but  the 
thief.  We  can  get  no  track  of  them.  When  I  go  for 
Johnson  I  will  try  to  capture  another." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Sept.  21, 1864.— I  go  out  as  far  as 
Woodville,  24  miles  on  the  railroad,  in  the  morning,  but 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  165 

will  not  be  gone  long.    They  run  out  a  special  train  for 
me,  so  I  can  return  when  I  please. 

"Everything  is  perfectly  quiet  throughout  my  whole 
command.  I  have  a  lot  of  cavalry  out  after  guerilla 
Johnson,  and  they  are  spreading  terror  amongst  the  peo 
ple  who  have  been  guilty  of  harboring  these  fellows.  If 
the  cavalry  fail  to  smoke  him  out,  I  shall  try  him  with 
infantry  and  go  myself. 

"I  have  a  pleasant  room  in  the  second  story,  well 
furnished,  my  amiable  and  excellent  landlady  ( whom  I 
have  not  seen  since  we  have  been  in  her  house)  having 
left  the  furniture.  The  room  is  nearly  twenty  feet 
square,  and  at  least  fifteen  feet  high,  has  a  grate,  four 
large  windows  with  blinds  outside  and  damask  curtains 
inside.  The  floor  is  carpeted.  The  furniture  is  all  old- 
fashioned — an  enormous  bedstead  with  high  posts  and 
a  canopy,  spring  mattress,  bolster,  pillows  with  ruffled 
slips,  sheets  and  a  white  counterpane;  an  arm  rocking 
chair,  cushioned ;  several  flag  bottomed  chairs ;  a  chest  of 
drawers,  wardrobe  (kept  locked),  marble-topped  wash- 
stand,  a  little  table,  on  which  I  am  writing;  large  look 
ing  glass,  a  sewing  machine,  a  few  lithographs  in  square, 
gilt  frames;  wash  bowl  and  pitcher,  some  earthern 
candlesticks  and  a  thermometer,  constitute  my  furni 
ture.  The  Adjutant  has  a  similar  room,  with  rather 
more  furniture,  which  we  use  as  an  office.  There  is  only 
a  hall  between  us.  Our  kitchen  and  dining  room,  where 
old  Minty  and  her  little  girl,  six  years  old,  live,  is  a  few 
rods  back  of  the  house,  and  Jerry,  Johnny,  clerk  and 
orderlies,  live  in  their  tents  in  the  back  yard. 

"I  think  you  could  stand  it  if  you  were  here,  espec 
ially  after  wintering  in  a  tent.  I  have  sent  by  Captain 
Noyes  to  Nashville  to  try  and  get  a  permit  for  you  and 
Minerva  to  come.  He  is  acquainted  with  Colonel  Saw 
yer,  General  Sherman's  Adjutant-General,  who  has 
power  to  grant  these  permits,  and  thinks  he  can  get  it. 


166  REMINISCENCES 

He  left  here  for  Nashville  this  morning.  No  ladies  are 
coming  south  of  Nashville,  so  far  as  I  know.  If  you  were 
to  apply  to  him  for  leave  to  come  he  would  say  to  you 
that  if  the  Government  would  be  as  much  benefited  by 
your  coming  as  it  would  be  were  175  pounds  of  corn 
shipped  in  your  place,  he  would  let  you  come.  Mrs. 
Moulton  wishes  to  come,  and  I  think  to  accomplish  it 
she  will  take  an  appointment  as  matron  in  the  hospital 
at  Decatur.  Of  course,  it  is  entirely  inadmissible  for  you 
to  get  here  in  any  such  manner." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Mon.,  Sept.  26,  1864.— Forrest, 
with  a  large  force,  is  raiding  in  this  region,  and  I  have 
been  up  nearly  all  night  for  two  nights,  moving  troops, 
telegraphing,  etc.  He  captured  Athens,  25  miles  west 
of  here  on  the  railroad,  Saturday,  and  yesterday  cap 
tured  and  burned  a  long  trestle  work  a  few  miles  north 
of  Athens.  Reinforcements  came  down  yesterday  from 
Chattanooga  to  go  to  General  Granger  at  Decatur,  but  I 
received  orders  from  General  Sherman's  headquarters  to 
turn  them  about  and  send  them  to  Nashville,  which  1 
did.  I  infer  from  this  that  Forrest  is  moving  north.  We 
hear  all  sorts  of  reports  about  what  his  intentions  are, 
but  can  not  form  any  definite  idea  about  it. 

"We  have  a  good  fort  here,  considerable  artillery 
and  some  troops,  and  will  try  to  give  a  good  account  of 
ourselves  if  attacked.  A  train  was  captured  at  Athens 
which  had  on  it  a  mail.  The  road  to  Nashville  via  Stev 
enson  is  still  open,  but  will  probably  be  broken,  and  we 
shall  have  another  blockade.  I  send  this  to  Stevenson 
and  hope  it  will  get  through. 

"I  took  all  the  troops  that  I  could  possibly  spare 
from  the  railroad  and  sent  them  to  General  Granger 
yesterday.  Colonel  Chapman  took  about  300  of  the  13th. 
I  do  not  hear  a  word  from  my  horses.  Two  companies  of 
the  18th  Michigan  were  captured  at  Athens. 

"Now,  do  not  worry  about  me.     I,  as  well  as  you, 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  167 

am  in  the  hands  of  a  kind  Father,  who  does  all  things  for 
the  best,  and  we  can  trust  Him  without  a  fear  or  doubt. 
I  do  not  disguise  from  you  that  we  are  environed  with 
perils,  but  I  will  try  to  do  my  duty  and  leave  the  event. 

"I  hear  that  recruiting  is  lively  all  over  the  North. 
This  is  good  news  for  us,  for  the  men  are  needed." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Thurs.,  Sept.  29, 1864.— I  suppose 
you  learn  from  the  newspapers  that  Forrest  is  playing 
smash  in  here.  He  first  struck  the  railroad  at  Athens. 
His  coming  was  a  complete  surprise.  He  captured  the 
garrison  there  (a  colored  regiment)  without  much  of  a 
fight.  Just  as  the  surrender  took  place,  reinforcements 
from  Decatur  reached  there,  the  most  of  whom  were 
captured.  The  18th  Michigan  loses  300  and  the  102d 
Ohio,  150  men.  He  then  went  north  to  a  heavy  trestle 
work  a  few  miles  from  Athens  and  captured  two  regi 
ments,  burning  the  trestle.  Then  he  moved  on  to  Elk 
river  bridge  and  captured  and  destroyed  it ;  after  which 
he  pressed  forward  to  Pulaski,  where  he  encountered 
General  Rousseau  with  reinforcements.  They  have  been 
fighting,  but  we  do  not  know  the  result. 

"This  morning  I  received  dispatches  from  Decatur 
that  Forrest  moved  on  Tuesday  night  towards  the  Nash 
ville  and  Chattanooga  R.  R.,  in  the  direction  of  Fayette- 
ville.  His  force  is  6,000  to  8,000  strong,  with  plenty  of 
artillery.  I  keep  scouting  parties  in  the  direction  of 
Fayetteville  constantly.  I  do  not  think  he  will  come 
this  way,  although  when  he  was  at  Athens  I  felt  a  little 
squally. 

"Heavy  reinforcements  have  come  up  from  the  front 
and  have  gone  toward  Nashville,  and  more  are  expected. 
So  I  think  we  are  out  of  the  woods.  Colonel  Chapman, 
with  a  part  of  the  regiment,  is  still  at  Decatur. 

"Just  at  this  point  I  received  the  following  telegram 
from  General  Granger  at  Decatur :  ' Strengthen  Hunts 
ville  all  you  can.  Use  every  available  cotton  bale  for 


168  REMINISCENCES 

traverses  in  fort  to  defend  against  enfilading  fire.  Thor 
oughly  barricade  the  streets.  Defend  all  approaches  to 
the  fort  as  completely  as  possible.' 

"I  had  been  doing  all  this  for  several  days,  but,  to 
be  certain  that  everything  is  right,  I  started  out  and 
made  a  thorough  examination  of  the  works.  I  do  not 
know  whether  the  General  thinks  that  Forrest  is  coming 
this  way  or  not.  I  keep  out  scouting  parties  fifteen  or 
twenty  miles  towards  Pulaski  and  Fayetteville  con 
stantly,  but  as  yet  can  hear  nothing  of  his  moving  this 
way.  If  he  comes,  I  have  a  good  fort,  some  artillery  and 
a  gallant  little  garrison,  and  hope  to  be  able  to  make  a 
good  fight.  I  think,  however,  that  the  order  is  merely 
precautionary,  as  this  is  the  first  time  that  he  has  said 
anything  about  the  defenses.  If  he  had  information  that 
we  were  in  danger  of  attack  he  would  have  said  so.  His 
family  are  here  and  have  had  no  communication  from 
him  on  the  subject,  Then  we  can  be  reinforced  in  a  few 
hours,  if  attacked,  both  from  Decatur  and  Stevenson. 
The  General  is  feeling  very  badly.  He  was  surprised. 
The  railroad  under  his  charge  is  seriously  injured  and 
he  has  lost  3,000  to  4,000  of  his  command.  These  are 
hard  blows  for  any  officer  to  stand  up  under. 

"No  doubt  you  will  know  the  result  of  operations 
here  before  you  receive  this.  I  am  confident  that  a  vig 
orous  effort  is  being  made  by  General  Sherman  to  head 
off  and  destroy  the  force  engaged  in  this  raid,  and  I  shall 
expect  in  a  day  or  two  to  see  large  reinforcements  mov 
ing  this  way.  How  fortunate  that  it  did  not  happen  be 
fore  the  capture  of  Atlanta,  when  no  troops  could  have 
been  spared ! 

"I  have  been  much  broken  of  my  rest  for  four  or  five 
nights,  and  am  very  busy  all  the  time.  I  am  a  good  deal 
worn  and  fatigued  with  labor,  anxiety  and  loss  of  sleep, 
but  am  well.  If  any  one  is  ambitious  for  an  important 
military  command  in  times  of  peril,  or  thinks  it  is  a  soft 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  169 

thing  to  be  an  officer,  I  am  perfectly  willing  that  he 
should  have  a  chance  to  try  it  on.  Oh,  it  will  be  para 
dise,  indeed,  if  I  am  permitted  to  sit  down  at  home  once 
more  with  wife  and  children,  family  and  friends,  and 
know  that  the  war  is  over,  the  flag  triumphant,  and  my 
duty  as  a  soldier  done.  Will  not  that  be  a  happy  day  for 
us  all?" 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Oct.  2,  1864.— I  keep  on  writing 
to  you,  although  I  do  not  suppose  that  one  of  nay  letters 
has  reached  Nashville  for  over  a  week.  Of  course,  I  re 
ceive  none  from  you.  The  railroad  over  which  our  mails 
pass  is  not  used,  and  the  other  road  is  used  exclusively  to 
transport  troops. 

"When  Forrest  left  the  railroad,  near  Pulaski,  he 
went  east  towards  the  Nashville  &  Chattanooga  R.  R., 
but,  as  far  as  I  can  learn,  has  not  injured  it.  On  Thurs 
day  I  sent  a  scouting  party  nearly  to  Fayetteville,  28 
miles  north  of  this  place,  who  learned  that  his  army 
passed  through  there  the  night  before,  going  east.  The 
next  day  I  sent  another  scout  in  a  northeast  direction 
and  about  12  miles  out.  They  ran  into  a  large  force  of 
the  enemy  and  had  a  little  fight.  On  their  return  Gen 
eral  Granger,  who  in  the  meantime  had  arrived  here 
from  Decatur,  sent  out  another  scout  on  the  same  road, 
and  soon  after  we  heard  them  skirmishing  some  two 
miles  out  of  town.  This  was  just  at  night.  The  scout 
came  in  and  reported  150  rebels  there.  They  lost  one 
man,  killed.  We  made  every  preparation  for  defense. 
In  the  evening  a  flag  of  truce  came  in  with  a  communica 
tion  from  the  rebel  General  Buford,  saying  that  he  com 
manded  the  advance  of  Forrest's  army,  and  demanding  a 
surrender  of  the  town,  fort,  troops,  etc.,  at  this  post.  The 
substance  of  General  Granger's  answer  was,  'Go  to  h — 1.' 

"Some  further  correspondence  occurred  during  the 
night,  the  dispatches  purporting  to  be  signed  by  Forrest 
himself.  He  offered  to  let  the  citizens  have  two  hours 


170  REMINISCENCES 

after  daylight  to  get  out  of  the  town.  We  allowed  all  to 
leave  who  chose  to  go,  and  most  of  them  went.  There 
was  a  terrible  panic  amongst  them.  They  are  nearly  all 
rebels,  and  General  Granger,  Colonel  Johnson  and  my 
self  had  all  told  them  repeatedly  that  if  we  were  at 
tacked  we  would  play  smash  with  their  old  town.  It  was 
interesting  to  see  them,  on  foot,  on  horses  and  mules  and 
in  all  sorts  of  vehicles,  run  from  their  doomed  town,  as 
they  supposed.  They  went  in  all  directions,  but  mainly 
to  the  mountains  near  by. 

"Well,  about  eight  o'clock  on  Saturday  morning  sev 
eral  parties  of  the  enemy  appeared  in  sight  and  moved  up 
to  within  one  or  two  miles  of  the  town.  Whenever  we 
could  get  a  fair  view  of  them  we  let  the  shells  fly  at  them. 
They  kept  pretty  well  under  the  cover  of  the  woods,  and 
after  an  hour  or  so,  there  being  no  apparent  increase  of 
their  force,  we  sent  out  scouts,  who  at  noon  reported  that 
the  enemy  had  left  and  were  moving  west,  saying  that 
they  could  take  Huntsville,  but  that  it  would  cost  them 
more  men  than  they  could  afford  to  lose.  So  the  citizens 
returned  and  everything  quieted  down  again.  I  was  up 
all  Friday  night,  and  stayed  at  the  fort  last  night,  but 
slept  most  of  the  time.  Tonight  I  am  at  headquarters 
and  hope  to  have  a  good,  quiet,  ten-hours'  sleep. 

"The  13th  had  its  usual  luck,  or  would  have  had  it 
had  there  been  a  fight.  About  twenty  minutes  before  we 
learned  that  the  rebels  were  in  our  neighborhood,  Gen 
eral  Granger  started  all  of  them  who  were  here,  some 
200,  on  the  cars  toward  Stevenson  to  remove  the  wreck 
of  a  train  that  was  fired  into  and  ran  off  the  track  at 
Bellfonte  the  same  morning.  So  they  would  not  have 
been  here  at  all,  except  Company  E,  which  we  brought  up 
from  Whitesburg  during  Friday  night.  The  regiment 
returned  last  evening  and  this  afternoon  was  sent  to  its 
old  stations  on  the  railroad. 

"Last  evening  several  thousand  troops  arrived  here 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  171 

to  reinforce  us.  They  are  commanded  by  General  Mor 
gan,  with  whom  I  formed  a  very  pleasant  acquaintance 
at  Stevenson  a  year  ago.  This  force  went  down  towards 
Decatur  this  evening  on  a  reconnoisance.  While  it  is  in 
our  vicinity  we  are  in  no  danger  of  attack. 

"We  have  no  knowledge  of  the  size  of  the  force  that 
made  this  demonstration  on  us.  General  Granger  thinks 
it  was  Forrest's  whole  force.  I  do  not.  I  think  it  was 
large  enough,  however,  to  satisfy  them  that  it  could  take 
Huntsville.  I  was  much  relieved  to  have  the  General 
here  to  take  the  responsibility  of  the  command.  I  was 
also  much  relieved  to  know  that  you  were  in  Wisconsin, 
safe  and  snug. 

"Jerry  packed  up  my  traps  and  carried  them  to  the 
fort,  and  then  took  a  musket  and  went  into  a  colored 
company  we  have  here  and  was  ready  to  fight.  The  of 
ficers  and  men  of  the  13th  are  nearly  all  sick.  I  have  re 
ported  the  regiment  as  unfit  for  field  duty,  and  mean  that 
it  shall  lie  still  for  a  few  weeks  to  recuperate/' 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Oct.  4,  1864. — I  am  well  but  com 
pletely  tired  out.  The  raid  seems  to  have  passed  us.  We 
find  that  we  were  menaced  by  4,000  men  with  artillery, 
and  when  they  came  they  no  doubt  intended  to  attack, 
but  gave  it  up.  So  we  have  lost  another  fight." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Thurs.,  Oct.  6,  1864. — We  have 
had  lively  times,  but  everything  has  settled  down  now 
into  the  quiet  of  utter  stagnation,  and  last  night  I  was 
allowed  to  sleep  all  night  without  interruption.  The 
night  before,  just  at  bedtime,  I  received  information  that 
there  were  a  thousand  rebels  nine  miles  from  Larkins- 
ville.  So  I  had  to  put  out  in  the  rain  and  send  out  rein 
forcements  and  telegraph  orders,  and  it  was  nearly  mid 
night  before  I  got  to  bed.  It  turned  out  to  be  a  small 
guerilla  party.  The  last  we  heard  of  Forrest,  he  was  in 
the  vicinity  of  Columbia.  There  are  so  many  troops  in 


172  REMINISCENCES 

this  vicinity  that  we  had  no  fear  of  his  coming  this  way 
again." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Oct.  9,  1864.— All  is  quiet  now, 
Forrest  having  recrossed  the  river  without  being  much 
damaged.  There  will  be  a  large  force  kept  in  this  dis 
trict,  no  doubt,  which  will  lead  to  changes,  and  it  is  hard 
to  guess  how  it  will  affect  us.  We  may  remain  right 
where  we  are,  we  may  be  sent  back  to  the  river,  and  we 
may  go  to  Atlanta.  One  is  just  about  as  likely  as  the 
other.  We  shall  know  soon. 

"I  have  found  one  of  my  horses — the  best  one — in  a 
contraband  camp  two  miles  from  town.  As  father  used 
to  say,  'Give  a  man  luck,  and  a  little  wit  will  do.' 

"Most  of  the  officers  who  are  entitled  to  a  discharge 
will  take  one  when  the  original  term  of  service  of  the 
13th  expires.  The  officers  who  went  home  with  the  regi 
ment  last  winter  are  not  held  by  reason  of  having  done 
so,  the  War  Department  having  overruled  General 
Thomas  in  that  respect.  If  the  Major  goes  out,  Captain 
Kummel  will  be  Lieut.-Colonel.  We  shall  not  be  en 
titled  to  a  Major,  the  regiment  being  below  the  minimum 
(806  enlisted  men) .  In  that  case,  Fish  may  stay  as  Cap 
tain  of  Company  C.  If  not,  Bardwell  will  be  Captain, 
and  I  think  that  Moulton  will  be  a  Lieutenant. 

"I  go  up  the  road  tomorrow  on  an  inspecting  tour 
as  far  as  Stevenson.  I  take  a  special  train  and  expect 
to  be  gone  two  days.  Officers  and  men  of  the  13th  nearly 
all  sick,  but  I  hope  the  cool  weather  will  straighten 
them  up." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Thurs.,  Oct.  13,  1864.— I  went  to 
Stevenson  and  back  on  Monday  on  an  inspecting  tour. 
The  regiment  is  still  very  sickly. 

"Things  are  very  unsettled  here,  and  we  are  liable 
to  be  struck  by  heavy  forces  of  the  rebels  almost  any 
day." 

"Huntsville,    Ala.,    Oct.    16,    1864.— Everything  is 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  173 

mixed  and  in  confusion  with  us.  The  reason  is  that  the 
rebels  are  making  desperate  efforts  to  break  up  our  com 
munications,  and  troops  are  being  constantly  moved  to 
threatened  points.  Today  I  am  sending  off  parts  of  two 
cavalry  regiments  in  my  command  to  Nashville  to  be 
mounted.  Colonel  Johnson,  the  commander  of  this  post, 
goes  with  them;  and  tomorrow  morning,  in  addition  to 
my  other  duties,  I  assume  command  of  the  post.  This 
will  give  me  about  all  the  work  that  I  can  do,  but  I  hope 
that  it  will  not  last  long. 

"General  Granger  came  up  from  Decatur  and  called 
on  us  last  night.  He  is  very  salubrious.  His  family  are 
here  and  are  quite  popular.  General  Granger's  treat 
ment  of  the  regiment  and  of  myself  is  very  kind  and 
considerate,  as  much  so  as  I  could  ask  and  more  so  than 
I  could  expect. 

"The  campaign  now  opening  will  be  fought  out  be 
tween  Louisville  and  Atlanta,  and  we  are  as  much  ex 
posed  as  any  other  part  of  the  line  north  of  the  Ten 
nessee  river,  or  more  so.  The  tide  of  battle  as  it  surges 
from  point  to  point  along  the  line  may  strike  us  any 
time,  and  it  is  hardly  possible  that  we  should  escape  it 
entirely,  and  I  do  not  know  that  I  care  to  escape  it. 

"I  am  weighed  down  with  care  and  responsibility, 
and  that  responsibility  is  terrific,  for  it  has  to  do  with 
human  life.  Then  I  am  torn  away  and  kept  year  after 
year  from  home  and  family,  and  they  seem  dearer  to  me 
every  day;  and  further,  I  lead  a  life  of  constant  peril 
and  uncertainty.  All  these  things,  added  to  the  fact 
that  the  best  years  of  my  life  are  passing  away  and  we 
are  getting  poorer  every  year  financially,  do  sometimes 
press  on  my  feelings  pretty  snug.  When  I  last  wrote  I 
was  not  very  well.  I  am  better  now,  but  everybody  else 
is  sick.  I  have  a  fine  command;  my  reputation  as  an 
officer  and  gentleman  is  first-rate,  and  my  military 
standing,  position  and  character  are  all  I  could  desire." 


174      „  REMINISCENCES 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Oct.  19,  1864.— I  took  command 
of  this  post  on  Monday  morning  and  I  do  not  have  any 
more  leisure.  I  write  this  while  I  am  waiting  for  din 
ner.  Hood  has,  or  has  had,  a  large  force  up  towards 
Chattanooga.  We  hear  that  he  is  backing  out,  but  know 
nothing  about  it.  There  are  plenty  of  troops  up  that 
way  to  take  care  of  him.  We  know  nothing  of  Forrest's 
movements  since  he  crossed  the  river.  I  do  not  think  he 
will  try  another  raid  till  we  get  the  railroad  which  he 
destroyed  repaired.  If  he  comes  here  we  usually  have 
troops  enough  to  make  a  pretty  good  fight." 

"Huntsville  Landing,  Ala.,  Sunday,  Oct.  23,  1864.— 
I  go  on  a  tour  of  inspection  up  the  railroad  tomorrow 
and  expect  to  be  gone  two  days.  Lieut.-Colonel  Horner, 
18th  Michigan  Provost  Marshal  here,  will  command  in 
my  absence.  We  expect  some  more  troops  here  soon, 
and  if  we  remain  here  I  shall  probably  retain  my  rail 
road  defense  command  and  move  headquarters  to  Lar- 
kinsville.  That  arrangement  will  suit  me  very  well.  I 
hope  matters  will  settle  down  before  a  great  while  so 
that  I  can  form  some  idea  where  I  shall  be  the  coming 
winter. 

"Lieutenant  Bowerman's  resignation  has  been  ac 
cepted  and  I  hear  that  he  has  gone  home.  A  new  order 
from  the  War  Department  holds  in  the  service  all  those 
officers  who  had  a  veteran  furlough  with  their  regiments. 
It  affects  several  of  our  officers  who  were  intending  to 
leave. 

"Fifty  or  sixty  recruits  came  to  the  regiment  the 
other  day,  and  we  sent  up  to  find  a  clerk  amongst  them. 
They  sent  us  one,  and  it  was  George  Larson.  I  was 
taken  completely  by  surprise. 

"Colonel  Chapman  has  gone  to  Nashville  to  see 
about  mustering  out  the  non-veterans.  The  health  of  the 
regiment  is  improving." 

"Oct.  27,  1864. — Hood's  army  passed  us  within  fif- 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  175 

teen  miles  of  Whitesburg,  and  yesterday  they  attacked 
Decatur.  They  fought  all  the  afternoon,  and  our  troops 
drove  them  off.  I  have  no  particulars,  although  I  get 
dispatches  from  there  every  hour.  We  heard  the  artil 
lery  plainly  here.  There  are  150  of  the  13th  there,  com 
manded  by  Captain  Blake.  I  think  our  losses  are  light, 
as  our  forces  had  fortifications  to  shelter  them.  I  do 
not  think  they  are  fighting  much  today.  The  probability 
is  that  the  rebel  army  has  moved  down  the  river  on  the 
south  side  towards  Tuscumbia. 

"We  just  got  information  from  a  scout  that  our 
army  is  in  hot  pursuit  and  can  not  be  far  behind.  It 
was  said  to  have  been  at  Gadsden  on  the  Coosa  river  last 
Monday  night.  I  have  a  number  of  first-class  scouts  and 
spies  that  I  have  kept  at  wrork  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  mostly  tracking  Hood's  movements.  I  think  I 
have  furnished  General  Thomas  with  the  earliest  and 
most  authentic  information  he  has  had  of  the  operations 
of  the  rebel  army  for  the  past  week. 

"General  Granger  was  here  when  the  attack  com 
menced  at  Decatur,  but  left  for  that  place  immediately.* 
He  has  drawn  away  nearly  all  the  force  from  here  to  De 
catur  and  Whitesburg.  All  of  these  operations  keep  me 

*  They  thought  Hood's  army  was  moving  on  the  south  side  of 
the  river,  ten  or  fifteen  miles  away,  and  I  had  some  splendid  scouts 
there.  After  the  head  of  his  column  had  passed  south  of  Huntsville 
and  kept  on  west,  we  expected  that  they  would  try  to  cross  the  river 
at  Whitesburg;  but  one  night  at  midnight  a  courier  came  in  with  the 
word  that  the  head  of  the  army  had  passed  the  Whiteburg  road  and 
was  poined  toward  Decatur,  less  than  a  day's  march  from  where  they 
were.  I  got  the  artillery  on  the  cars  and  had  everything  ready,  be 
cause  I  knew  that  General  Granger  would  be  attacked.  I  called  in 
all  the  pickets  that  I  could  spare,  leaving  the  necessary  pickets 
around  Huntsville,  but  having  the  rest  ready  to  march.  After  dinner 
General  Granger  came  into  headquarters  and  said,  "Colonel,  I  can  not 
find  out  anything  and  I  have  come  up  here  to  find  what  is  going  on." 
I  said,  "General,  you  will  find  out  before  night  what  is  going  on. 
Hood  is  advancing  on  Decatur  and  will  get  there  before  night."  He 
said,  "I  do  not  believe  it,"  but  as  we  sat  there  talking  we  heard  the 
distant  boom  of  artillery  and  the  General  pricked  up  his  ears  and 
said,  "What  is  that?"  I  said,  "It  is  Hood  at  Decatur."  He  said,  "It  is 
impossible!"  but  he  realized  what  it  meant.  I  told  him  everything 
was  ready  and  could  be  started  right  away  and  asked  him  if  he 
wanted  me  to  go  with  them.  By  the  time  he  got  to  the  depot  every 
thing  was  ready,  and  he  got  to  Decatur  in  an  hour.  They  drove 
Hood  off  and  he  went  on  down  the  river,  destroying  a  pontoon  bridge. 
— "W.  IP.  L. 


176  REMINISCENCES 

up  nights  and  make  me  lots  of  work.  Adjutant  Scott  is 
invaluable  to  me  in  this  crowd  of  business,  and  I  have 
another  good  Adjutant  at  post  headquarters,  so  you  see 
I  have  good  help. 

"I  have  had  no  apprehension  of  an  immediate  at 
tack  here,  yet  I  am  very  thankful  that  you  are  snug  in 
Racine  instead  of  being  here.  Hood  has  to  be  settled 
before  we  shall  have  much  quiet." 

"Nov.  3, 1864. — To  give  you  an  idea  of  the  way  busi 
ness  runs  with  me,  I  will  give  you  my  experiences  after 
tea  Sunday  evening.  I  sat  down  in  my  room  thinking 
that  everything  was  quiet  and  promising  myself  a  com 
fortable  night's  sleep,  when  a  messenger  galloped  up 
with  a  dispatch  saying  that  the  rebels  had  opened  with  a 
battery  on  our  troops  at  Whitesburg,  which  you  know  is 
in  my  command.  I  immediately  went  down  to  post 
headquarters,  sent  couriers  to  Whitesburg  with  orders, 
and  was  making  other  dispositions  to  prevent  the  enemy 
from  crossing  the  Tennessee  river  there,  when  a  man 
rushed  into  the  office  pale  and  almost  breathless,  an 
nouncing  that  the  rebels  were  near  the  city  on  the  New 
Market  road  in  heavy  force,  and  that  they  were  burning 
every  combustible  thing  as  they  advanced.  Looking  in 
that  direction,  sure  enough  the  flames  of  several  burning 
buildings  corroborated  the  story. 

"I  immediately  strengthened  my  picket  lines  and 
sent  out  scouts  to  ascertain  what  was  there,  gave  direc 
tions  for  the  disposition  of  public  property,  assigned 
their  positions  to  what  few  troops  I  had,  went  to  the 
fort  and  made  the  necessary  arrangements  there,  and 
returned  to  headquarters  to  await  further  developments. 

"In  due  time  the  scouts  returned  with  the  informa 
tion  that  the  force  was  only  a  raiding  party  of  guerillas 
and  citizens,  who  had  burned  some  houses  occupied  by 
colored  people  connected  with  the  contraband  camp 
here — and  the  excitement  was  over.  But  all  of  this  took 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  177 

from  one  until  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  In  the  mean 
time  I  received  information  that  two  gunboats  had  ar 
rived  at  Whitesburg,  so  I  went  to  bed  feeling  easy. 
There  were  no  further  demonstrations  there. 

"The  next  evening  (Monday)  I  felt  sure  that  all 
was  quiet ;  when  just  as  I  was  leaving  the  office  to  go  to 
bed,  a  dispatch  from  the  commanding  officer  at  Larkins- 
ville  came,  saying  that  he  was  attacked.  It  turned  out 
to  be  nothing  serious,  but  to  find  out  that,  and  to  make 
preparations  to  meet  it  should  it  prove  serious,  took  half 
the  night. 

"Tuesday  night  we  were  moving  some  troops  and 
had  to  wait  for  trains,  so  the  Adjutant  remained  up  all 
night  and  I  got  a  good,  undisturbed  night's  rest.  Last 
night  for  the  first  time  since  the  rebel  army  approached 
us  we  both  slept  all  night.  Yet,  for  all  this,  I  keep  per 
fectly  well.  How  long  our  quiet  will  last  I  can  not  even 
guess.  Hood  moved  down  the  river  from  Decatur,  but  I 
have  no  idea  where  he  is.  We  have  had  reports  that  he 
crossed  the  Tennessee  river  to  the  north  side  of  Flor 
ence,  but  these  reports  are  not  reliable. 

"Large  numbers  of  troops  have  gone  forward  to 
Decatur  and  Athens  within  the  last  three  days,  and  I 
feel  quite  confident  that  the  tide  of  war  has  rolled  by  us 
once  more  without  striking  us.  The  General  has  given  me 
more  troops  here  on  the  river  and  on  the  railroad,  and  I 
am  feeling  quite  stout.  The  non-veterans  will  leave  in 
about  a  week  for  Nashville  to  be  mustered  out." 

"Nov.  6,  1864.— Since  Hood  has  left  our  vicinity  I 
do  not  have  as  much  work  on  hand.  We  are  having  quiet 
times,  just  enough  bushwhacking  around  us  to  make  us 
remember  that  war  is  our  business. 

"The  health  of  our  men  is  improving  rapidly.  Yes 
terday  morning  we  had  a  heavy  frost,  the  first  of  the 
season.  The  weather  is  mild.  There  are  about  160  non- 
veterans.  They  go  north  this  week. 


178  REMINISCENCES 

"We  do  not  know  where  Hood  has  gone,  but  there  is 
a  large  force  concentrated  at  Pulaski,  ready  to  strike 
him  if  he  demonstrates  this  side  of  the  river. 

"Many  of  the  best  citizens  profess  to  be  anxious  to 
have  me  remain  here  in  command  at  Huntsville.  My 
opinion  now  is  that  I  shall  spend  the  winter  in  this 
vicinity,  perhaps  at  Larkinsville.  It  is  a  mud  hole,  but 
a  woman  that  has  wintered  at  Fort  Henry  ought  not  to 
be  afraid  of  a  little  mud. 

"I  go  up  on  Tuesday  to  vote  with  the  regiment.  Old 
Abe  will  be  elected,  but  that  will  not  end  the  war.  We 
have  to  whip  them  and  disperse  their  armies  to  do  that. 
Our  people  North  are  deceiving  themselves  if  they  ex 
pect  the  war  to  close  on  the  strength  of  Lincoln's  elec 
tion.  It  will  have  its  influence,  no  doubt,  in  that  it  satis 
fies  the  people  South  that  we  are  in  earnest,  but  it  will 
not  rout  and  destroy  armies.  The  hope  of  the  country  is 
the  army  and  ballot  box  combined.  Politics  are  good  in 
their  place,  but  24-pounder  howitzers  are  better  to  bring 
traitors  and  rebels  to  their  allegiance." 

"Nov.  9,  1864. — I  went  up  to  the  regiment  yesterday 
and  voted  4 or  Old  Abe.  I  went  as  far  as  Larkinsville. 

"It  looks  less  and  less  like  leaving  Huntsville,  un 
less  we  are  driven  out,  which  we  do  not  expect  at  pres 
ent.  I  expect  the  Major  down  tomorrow  to  take  com 
mand  of  the  regiment.  I  have  to  work  almost  every 
minute  of  my  time. 

"Dr.  Evans  is  here.  He  has  been  appointed  Medi 
cal  Director  of  this  district  and  ordered  to  establish  a 
general  hospital  here.  I  have  taken  a  female  seminary 
for  that  purpose,  and  the  'fern  ales'  are  very  sweet  on  me, 
hoping  to  induce  me  to  rescind  the  order  and  take  some 
other  building.  It  can  not  be  done,  though." 

"Nov.  13,  1864. — I  have  been  to  Stevenson,  chang 
ing  troops  on  the  railroad.  Was  out  all  Tuesday  night 
and  came  back  last  night  very  tired.  A  ten-hours'  sleep 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  179 

straightened  me  up,  however,  and  today  I  am  as  good  as 
new. 

"I  think  things  are  sufficiently  settled  now  for  you 
to  come  here,  and  I  have  just  forwarded  an  application 
to  General  Thomas  for  leave.  If  granted,  I  can  get  it  to 
you  soon  after  the  first  of  December,  and  if  we  have  any 
trouble  at  all  this  winter  it  will  likely  come  before  that 
time ;  but  I  fear  that  we  shall  fail  to  obtain  the  permis 
sion.  An  application  of  the  same  kind  made  by  the  pilot 
of  a  gunboat  to  General  Sherman  has  come  back  re 
fused,  with  a  statement  that  the  General  has  prohibited 
women  from  coming  south  of  Nashville.  Yet  the  Chap 
lain  got  permission  for  his  wife  to  come  and  she  arrived 
at  the  regiment  yesterday.  This  permission  came  from 
General  Thomas.  I  think  I  shall  move  into  another 
house  where  there  are  furnished  rooms  and  where  we 
can  have  better  kitchen  accommodations. 

"I  will  tell  you  now  what  I  have  kept  still  about.  I 
expected  that  Hood  would  cross  the  river  and  move  in 
this  direction,  and  I  had  orders  from  General  Thomas 
what  to  do  in  case  his  army  came  here.  I  was  ordered  to 
fall  back  towards  Stevenson,  resist  him  at  the  streams, 
obstruct  roads  and  retard  his  movements  as  much  as  pos 
sible.  I  think  that  danger  is  pretty  much  passed,  at 
least  it  will  be  by  the  time  you  get  here.  With  such 
orders  in  my  pocket,  and  while  there  was  any  prospect 
of  an  occasion  arising  for  executing  them,  I  knew  that 
it  would  be  folly  to  ask  General  Thomas  to  let  you  come. 

"I  have  taken  the  female  college,  a  treasonable 
Methodist  concern  here,  for  a  general  hospital ;  and 
have  had  several  interesting  sessions  with  the  lady 
proprietors  about  it.  Dr.  Evans  will  move  here  in  a  few 
days  to  take  charge  of  it. 

"I  have  had  some  nice  presents  lately.  My  chief 
scout  gave  me  a  gold  watch,  which  he  took  from  the  dead 
body  of  a  rebel  Colonel  killed  by  him  in  some  fight  be- 


180  REMINISCENCES 

fore  Atlanta.  An  artist  here,  Mr.  Fry,  gave  me  a  beau 
tiful  picture  of  General  McPherson,  worth  $30,  and  the 
chief  clerk  of  our  post  Q.  M.  gave  me  a  gold  pen." 

"Nov.  21,  1864. — We  are  about  moving  into  another 
house,  Avhere  we  can  have  more  room  and  much  better 
kitchen  accommodations,  besides  having  the  whole  house 
for  headquarters.  We  have  contemplated  this  for  some 
time,  but  have  only  just  definitely  decided  to  make  the 
change.  Mrs.  Rice,  my  landlady,  is  very  sick.  Last 
evening  she  sent  for  me.  I  found  her  scarcely  able  to 
talk.  She  said  she  thought  she  might  not  recover  and 
she  wanted  to  thank  me  for  all  our  kindness  to  her  since 
we  have  been  here.  I  was  with  her  for  half  an  hour.  I 
hear  she  is  a  little  better  today.  We  have  endeavored  to 
annoy  her  as  little  as  possible  and  have  improved  every 
opportunity  to  do  her  a  kindness,  in  view  of  her  lonely 
and  forlorn  condition.  For  this  she  seems  to  be  very 
grateful." 

"Nov.  25,  1864. — I  sit  down  this  morning  to  write 
you  the  last  letter  I  expect  to  write  from  Huntsville  for 
some  time.  We  are  evacuating  this  line.  Decatur  is  al 
ready  abandoned,  and  when  the  troops  from  that  place 
arrive  here  we  shall  take  up  our  line  of  march  for  Ste 
venson.  We  expect  to  leave  about  Sunday.  I  have  been 
very  hard  at  work  ever  since  we  got  the  order  on  Wed 
nesday. 

"This  course  is  rendered  necessary  by  Hood's  move 
ment  north,  concerning  which  you  are  no  doubt  better 
posted  than  we  are  here.  There  is  no  enemy  near  us, 
and  none  is  expected;  and  the  evacuation  is  purely  on 
the  ground  of  military  policy. 

"We  march  to  Stevenson,  and  as  we  shall  have  no 
mail  facilities  until  we  get  there  you  will  not  hear  from 
me  again  as  soon  as  usual.  I  send  some  money,  $400,  by 
Colonel  Towne,  a  reliable  man.  Eighty  dollars  of  this 
money  belongs  to .  I  got  it  from  him  because  he 


OF   THE  CIVIL  WAR  181 

is  rather  worthless  and  has  a  family  of  motherless  chil 
dren  at  Allen's  Grove  which  he  has  neglected.  The  en 
closed  letters  from  the  oldest  girl  explain  their  situation. 
This  girl  is  only  fourteen  years  old.  The  family  must 
have  the  full  benefit  of  this  money,  even  though  you  have 
to  go  out  there  yourself  to  look  after  them.  At  any  rate, 
send  the  girl  some  money.  In  this  way  you  will  help 
soften  the  sorrows  caused  by  the  war,  and  you  thus  help 
the  cause  for  which  we  are  fighting,  a  cause  that  grows 
dearer  to  me  and  more  sacred  every  day. 

"The  citizens  here,  loyal  and  disloyal,  express  much 
regret  that  we  are  to  leave.  Many  of  the  loyal  people, 
including  hundreds  of  colored  folks,  are  leaving  or  will 
leave  with  us.  This  evacuating  is  a  terrible  job.  Fort 
Henry  is  not  to  be  compared  with  it,  and  that  you  know 
was  quite  a  task. 

"Business  has  been  lively  here  today.  There  are  sev 
eral  stores  here,  and  this  morning  I  removed  all  restric 
tions  from  sales  and  dealers  are  selling  at  cost.  I  bought 
a  pair  of  boots  for  ten  dollars  which  would  have  cost  $18 
or  $20  yesterday ;  and  everything  else  is  going  in  propor 
tion.  The  reason  for  this  reduction  is  that  it  is  doubtful 
whether  they  can  get  cars  to  take  their  goods  away,  and 
they  would  be  cleaned  out  in  two  hours  after  we  leave. 
A  great  many  men  are  compelled  to  go  and  leave  desti 
tute  families  behind  them.  There  will  be  none  left  who 
are  liable  to  conscription,  and  but  few  who  ever  professed 
loyalty.  I  have  seen  a  great  deal  of  anguish  and  almost 
despair  in  the  last  two  days,  I  assure  you,  and  can  do 
but  little  to  alleviate  it.  I  have  often  thought  of  you  and 
our  dear  babes,  and  thanked  God  devoutly  that  you  have 
not  been  called  to  these  bitter  experiences.  I  issue 
rations  freely  to  these  people,  without  authority  and  re 
gardless  of  personal  consequences ;  but  they  are  liable  to 
be  robbed  of  them  as  soon  as  we  are  gone. 

"There  will  be  stirring  times  in  Tennessee  for  a  few 


182  REMINISCENCES 

weeks  and  our  communications  may  be  cut  off,  so  if  you 
do  not  get  letters  you  will  know  the  reason.  Our  brigade 
is  ordered  to  garrison  Stevenson,  and  whether  the  tide 
of  battle  is  to  surge  that  way  time  will  determine.  Di 
rect  your  letters  hereafter  to  Stevenson.  We  are  all 
well.  Minty  is  cooking  for  our  march.  Jerry  says  to  tell 
Minerva  that  he  is  'just  tollable.'  We  will  postpone  for 
the  present  talking  of  your  coming  South  this  winter." 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR 


183 


,tevenson,  Ala.,  Dec.  4.  1864.— Here  we 
are,  safe  and  sound.  We  evacuated 
Huntsville  last  Sunday  morning,  went 
tp  Brownsboro  that  night,  to  Paint- 
rock  bridge  Monday,  to  Larkinsville 
Tuesday,  to  Bellefonte  Wednesday,  to 
this  vicinity  on  Thursday,  and  came 
in  on  Friday.  We  had  pleasant  weath 
er  for  our  trip,  but  we  had  an  im 
mense  wagon  train,  the  roads  were  very  bad  a  part  of  the 
way,  and  I  found  myself  overworked.  We  were  not  pur 
sued  by  any  considerable  force,  but  were  bush-whacked 
considerably. 

"An  immense  crowd  of  refugees  and  contrabands 
followed  us,  not  less,  I  think,  than  three  thousand ;  and 
there  is  much  suffering  amongst  them,  as  they  are  all 
very  destitute  indeed.  General  Granger,  who  marched 
with  us,  did  everything  in  his  power  to  alleviate  their 
sufferings,  which  act  raised  him  in  my  estimation  very 
much.  This  refugee  crowd  was  bushwhacked  the  third 
day  out  and  a  terrible  panic  resulted.  It  is  reported  that 
a  great  many  young  children  and  infants  were  aban 
doned  by  their  mothers.  This  occurred  amongst  the 
contrabands. 

"Colonel  Given  is  sick,  Colonel  Doolittle  is  North, 
and  I  am  commanding  the  brigade  until  one  or  the  other 
returns  to  duty ;  then  I  go  back  to  the  regiment.  There 
is  now  no  communication  with  Nashville,  and  we  have 
but  little  idea,  what  is  going  on  up  there. 

"It  will  not  do  for  you  to  come  here  now  at  all.  The 
whole  situation  is  too  precarious  and  uncertain.  Be 
sides,  we  can  get  no  accommodations.  I  have  a  little 
office  for  brigade  headquarters,  in  which  four  of  us  sleep, 
and  we  mess  along  any  way  we  can.  I  shall  live  in  my 
tent  when  I  return  to  the  regiment.  Our  regiment  can 


184  KEMINISCENCES 

be  very  comfortable  here,  but  a  whole  brigade  can  have 
but  little  accommodation." 

" Stevenson,  Dec.  8,  1864. — I  write  to  you  at  the 
usual  time,  although  I  am  as  completely  isolated  from 
you  as  I  would  be  were  I  in  the  Fiji  Islands.  Communi 
cation  with  Nashville  is  entirely  cut  off  and  we  have  no 
idea  what  is  going  on  up  there.  You,  I  suppose,  know  all 
about  it.  The  last  we  heard  from  there  was  that  Hood 
was  near  Nashville.  I  expect  to  hear  next  that  he  has 
crossed  the  Cumberland  and  gone  to  Kentucky. 

"I  am  still  in  command  of  the  brigade,  but  as  soon 
as  the  road  is  open  Colonel  Doolittle  will  return  and  take 
command,  when  I  shall  go  to  the  regiment  once  more  I 
hope.  We  are  hard  at  work  building  fortifications  and 
getting  ready  for  any  rebel  force  that  may  stray  off  in 
this  direction." 

"Stevenson,  Ala.,  Dec.  11,  1864. — We  are  progress 
ing  well  with  our  fortifications.  The  weather  is  unusu 
ally  cold  and  there  is  considerable  suffering  amongst  the 
refugees,  and  even  the  soldiers  are  none  too  comfortable. 
Whether  we  are  to  have  any  trouble  here  with  the  enemy 
is  uncertain,  but  I  am  not  looking  for  an  attack.  Yet  it 
may  come,  and  we  are  rapidly  getting  in  that  frame  of 
mind  that  we  do  not  care  much  if  it  comes  or  not.  It 
costs  a  man  weary  days  and  weeks  of  anxiety,  toil,  and 
almost  suffering,  to  do  his  duty  to  his  country  in  these 
times.  I  have  nothing  of  interest  to  write  about  and  if 
I  had  this  letter  will  probably  be  a  month  old  before  you 
get  it." 

"Dec.  15,  1864. — It  seems  like  folly  to  keep  writing 
letters  to  you  when  they  accumulate  on  my  hands,  yet 
they  may  be  of  some  interest  to  you  when  you  get  them. 
When  that  will  be  I  can  not  even  guess.  The  blockade 
still  continues,  and  except  a  very  few  vague  and  unre 
liable  rumors  we  know  nothing  of  what  is  transpiring 
north  of  us. 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  185 

"Our  life  here  is  almost  perfect  stagnation  now— 
nothing  of  interest  going  on.  I  have  moved  the  regiment 
to  better  ground  and  nearer  my  headquarters,  and  I 
spend  part  of  each  day  there.  Then  I  ride  around  and 
look  at  the  fortifications,  and  visit  the  regiments  of  the 
brigade  when  the  weather  is  pleasant,  and  thus  manage 
to  get  through  the  day.  Our  fortifications  are  nearly 
complete,  and  Stevenson  is  very  strong  now.  I  appre 
hend  no  attack,  however.  This  uncertainty  is  wearing." 

"Dec.  18,  1864. — Some  time  or  other  you  will  get  a 
batch  of  letters  from  me  which  I  have  written  during  our 
blockade.  In  them  you  will  find  a  history  of  our  move 
ments  for  a  month. 

"Well,  tonight  we  got  orders  from  General  Thomas 
to  go  back  and  reoccupy  the  railroad  to  Decatur ;  and  to 
morrow  we  expect  to  leave  here  for  Huntsville.  We  do 
not  anticipate  any  resistance,  and  shall  probably  get 
there  on  Tuesday,  as  we  go  by  railroad. 

"The  rebels  occupy  Decatur  in  some  force  and  we 
may  have  to  go  down  and  clean  them  out  before  we  settle 
down  anywhere.  We  get  with  the  orders  to  move  the 
news  of  the  glorious  victory  over  Hood,  telegraphed  to 
General  Granger  by  General  Whipple  (Mrs.  Sandford's 
brother),  who  is  General  Thomas7  chief  of  staff.  Hood 
is  badly  damaged  and  will  probably  be  ruined  before  he 
can  get  his  army  off — but  you  already  know  all  about 
this.  You  probably  will  not  hear  from  me  again  for  a 
week,  as  communications  will  be  rather  unsettled  for 
awhile  longer." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Dec.  25,  1864.— I  write  now  with 
some  little  expectation  that  you  will  receive  the  letter 
within  a  reasonable  time,  for  I  hear  that  they  have  at 
last  got  a  mail  through  to  Stevenson  for  us,  which  should 
reach  us  tomorrow. 

"Monday  morning  General  Granger  ordered  me  to 
take  the  13th,  the  cavalry  and  a  battery  and  go  to  Hunts- 


186  REMINISCENCES 

ville  and  assume  my  old  command.  I  commenced  the 
movement  Monday  afternoon,  the  infantry  and  artillery 
moving  by  rail.  We  knew  nothing  about  the  situation  of 
things  here,  so  we  advanced  cautiously,  the  cavalry  re- 
connoitering  ahead  of  the  train.  We  reoccupied  the 
place  on  the  21st,  the  few  Confederates  here  fleeing  at  our 
approach.  It  has  not  been  strongly  occupied  during  our 
absence,  and  we  find  things  much  as  we  left  them.  The 
people  profess  to  be  glad  to  see  us  back  here,  although  I 
think  the  most  of  them  lie  about  that. 

"We  have  taken  a  comfortable  sort  of  a  house  for 
headquarters,  partly  furnished ;  and  when  you  hear  that 
Hood's  army,  including  Forrest,  is  across  the  Tennessee 
river  and  everything  gives  promise  of  a  season  of  quiet 
on  this  side,  if  the  winter  is  not  too  far  advanced  you 
may  expect  marching  orders  for  this  place,  but  not  until 
the  tide  of  war  has  rolled  farther  off. 

"The  next  day  after  we  got  here  my  cavalry  had  a 
severe  fight  just  a  few  miles  out  of  town  with  a  part  of 
Roddey's  command,  and  we  were  victorious.  The  rebel 
loss  was  at  least  100  in  killed,  wounded  and  prisoners. 
Our  loss  is  quite  light.  We  have  now  some  80  prisoners 
of  war  captured  since  we  arrived  in  this  vicinity,  sev 
eral  of  whom  are  from  here.  We  smashed  a  new  com 
pany  raised  here  during  our  absence. 

"General  Granger  moved  down  the  river  with  the 
balance  of  his  command  to  Decatur,  but  found  the  place 
so  strongly  occupied  that  he  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to 
attack.  He  returned  with  his  fleet  to  Whitesburg,  came 
up  here  and  waited  for  General  Steadman,  who  passed 
here  on  Saturday  with  a  large  force  in  that  direction. 
General  Granger  left  me  in  addition  to  the  13th,  the  73d 
Indiana,  and  took  the  rest  of  his  force  down  the  river 
again  to  co-operate  with  Steadman  in  taking  Decatur. 
Our  force  is  so  large  there  that  the  rebels  will  probably 
evacuate  without  a  fight.  We  know  nothing  of  Hood's 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  187 

army  except  that  it  was  badly  defeated  before  Nashville 
and  is  retreating  towards  the  Tennessee  river.  He  will 
get  across  badly  damaged ;  retreat  as  long  as  he  is  pur 
sued;  and  then  halt,  reorganize,  and  in  sixty  or  ninety 
days  will  have  a  force  that  will  require  another  hard 
campaign  to  disperse." 

"Dec.  29, 1864.— We  have  finally  got  a  mail  through 
up  to  the  15th.  Huntsville  is  rapidly  resuming  its  old 
appearance,  and  the  citizens  generally  profess  to  be 
pleased  with  our  return.  The  rebels  did  but  little  mis 
chief  during  our  absence. 

"We  know  but  little  of  army  movements  except 
those  that  pass  under  our  immediate  notice.  I  suppose 
Sherman  is  in  Savannah,  and  I  think  the  rebels  are  right 
when  they  say  that  the  loss  of  that  city  is  of  but  little 
consequence  to  them ;  but  the  destruction  of  their  rail 
roads  on  his  march,  and  the  capture  of  their  cannon  and 
locomotives  by  Sherman,  is  a  serious  disaster,  almost  ir 
reparable. 

"Hood  will  lose  half  of  his  army,  and  the  balance  is 
powerless  for  mischief  for  many  months.  This  is  the 
worst  blow  the  Confederacy  has  had,  but  it  all  avails  but 
little  towards  closing  the  war  so  long  as  Lee  sits  defi 
antly  in  the  gates  of  Richmond.  When  that  army  is 
routed  and  destroyed,  and  not  till  then,  can  we  begin  to 
look  for  the  war  to  close. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  a  call  for  300,000  more  men.  They 
will  be  needed,  for  the  term  of  enlistment  of  half  the 
army  expires  next  summer  and  fall." 

1865. 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Jan.  2, 1865.— Company  G,  Lieut. 
Wagener  commanding,  was  surprised  and  captured  at 
Paintrock  bridge  on  Saturday  morning  at  about  four 
o'clock,  and  the  bridge  was  burned.  Some  of  the  men 


188  REMINISCENCES 

escaped.  I  think  there  are  thirty  to  thirty-five  missing. 
One  man  was  wounded.  The  bridge  will  be  rebuilt  in  a 
few  days.  The  routine  of  duty  here  keeps  both  the  Ad 
jutant  and  myself  quite  busy  all  the  time. 

"The  rebels  are  across  the  river,  and  the  campaign 
virtually  over.  There  will  now  be  a  reorganization  of 
the  army,  and  where  it  will  place  us  is  more  than  I  can 
tell.  I  presume  when  the  next  campaign  opens  we  shall 
be  in  the  field.  I  think  we  ought  to  be/' 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Pri.,  Jan.  6,  1865.— On  Wednes 
day  I  went  up  the  river  to  where  Paintrock  bridge  was 
burned  by  the  rebels  on  the  Saturday  before,  which  used 
up  the  day.  On  my  return  I  found  the  Fourth  Army 
Corps,  commanded  by  General  Wood,  coming  here  for 
the  purpose  of  refitting  for  the  next  campaign.  It  is 
about  12,000  to  15,000  strong,  and  is  encamped  outside 
the  city.  Helping  to  get  them  settled,  assigning  quarters 
to  officers,  etc.,  is  what  has  kept  me  so  busy.  General 
Stanley  is  the  permanent  commander  of  this  corps,  but 
he  was  wounded  at  Franklin  and  is  absent.  I  find  Gen 
eral  Wood  a  very  pleasant  gentleman.  The  presence  of 
the  corps  here  does  not  affect  my  command  at  all. 

"Company  G  loses  37  men  captured  at  Paintrock 
bridge.  The  bridge  will  be  repaired  tomorrow. 

"I  think  the  army  will  soon  be  reorganized,  and  I 
feel  as  though  they  ought  to  let  us  go  into  the  field  in  the 
next  campaign.  I  am  satisfied  that  the  13th  would  be 
better  off  today  had  it  gone  with  Sherman  last  spring 
than  it  is  now." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  11  o'clock  p.  m.,  Jan.  11,  1865.— I 
write  at  this  late  hour  because  I  have  had  no  time  to  do 
so  before.  I  am  constantly  occupied,  early  and  late,  and 
it  is  with  difficulty  that  I  get  time  to  write  at  all.  In  ad 
dition  to  my  other  duties,  the  command  of  our  brigade  is 
thrown  upon  me  again.  Colonel  Doolittle  is  commanding 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  189 

a  brigade  in  the  23d  Army  Corps.  This  is  Colonel  Doo- 
little  of  the  18th  Michigan. 

"Everything  moves  along  nicely  with  me.  Our  town 
is  full  of  Generals.  Wood,  Kemble,  Beatty,  Elliott, 
Granger,  and  others  are  here.  My  relations  with  them 
are  very  pleasant  indeed.  Granger  and  Elliott  called 
upon  me  tonight.  I  knew  the  latter  as  Colonel  of  the  2d 
Iowa  Cavalry,  and  went  up  the  Tennessee  river  with  him 
in  April,  1862,  to  Pittsburg  Landing. 

"I  am  about  making  an  entire  change  of  force  on 
the  railroad,  and  shall  probably  go  to  Stevenson  in  a  day 
or  two  to  superintend  the  necessary  movements.  I  have 
received  a  reinforcemnt  of  two  regiments,  the  84th  Il 
linois  and  the  18th  Michigan,  to  enable  me  to  increase 
the  strength  of  garrisons  here  and  on  the  railroad.  When 
Colonel  Doolittle  returns  I  shall  be  relieved  of  the  com 
mand  of  the  brigade,  and  I  hope  of  the  post,  so  that  I  can 
devote  my  whole  time  to  the  railroad  and  river  defenses." 


THE  FIGHT  WITH  LYON  AT  SCOTTSBORO — BRAVERY  OF  THE 
COLORED  TROOPS. 

(Letter  from,  Colonel  Lyon  to  the  Nashville  Union.) 

Huntsville,  Ala.,  Jan.  14,  1865. 
"A  fight  took  place  at  Scottsboro,  twenty  miles  west 
of  Stevenson,  on  the  evening  of  the  8th  inst.,  between  the 
forces  of  the  rebel  General  Lyon  and  the  garrison  at  that 
place,  consisting  of  detachments  from  Company  E,  101st 
U.  S.  C.  T.,  and  from  Company  E,  110th  U.  S.  C.  T.,  the 
former  commanded  by  Lieutenant  John  H.  Hull,  and  the 
latter  by  Lieutenant  David  Smart,  the  whole  under  com 
mand  of  Lieutenant  Hull.  This  affair  deserves  more 
publicity  than  it  will  get  through  the  ordinary  medium 


190  REMINISCENCES 


of  an  official  report,  as  it  helps  settle  the  oft  repeated 
question,  'Will  the  negro  fight  ?' 

"Lieutenant  Hull's  command  numbered  fifty-three 
muskets  in  all,  but  eleven  of  his  men  were  on  outpost 
duty  at  the  water  tanks  over  one  mile  west  of  the  depot, 
in  which  the  balance  of  the  command,  forty-two  strong, 
was  stationed.  Here  the  little  garrison  was  attacked  by 
the  whole  force  of  the  rebel  General,  reinforced  by  sev 
eral  guerrilla  companies  that  infest  that  region,  and 
numbering  from  800  to  1,000  men,  with  two  twelve- 
pounder  howitzers. 

"After  skirmishing  with  the  enemy  and  holding  him 
in  check  for  some  time,  the  garrison  was  driven  into  the 
depot,  upon  which  three  determined  charges  were  made, 
each  one  of  which  was  repulsed  with  severe  loss  to  the 
enemy.  The  rebels  then  withdrew  beyond  musket  range 
and  opened  upon  the  depot  with  their  artillery ;  but  the 
garrison  remained  in  it  until  it  had  been  struck  with 
four  shells,  three  of  which  exploded  in  the  building. 
Lieutenant  Hull  then  withdrew  his  command  to  a  moun 
tain  four  hundred  and  fifty  yards  distant,  cutting  his 
way  through  the  ranks  of  the  rebels,  who  attempted  to 
intercept  his  progress,  in  a  hand-to-hand  fight.  One 
rebel  seized  the  Lieutenant  by  the  collar,  but  was  in 
stantly  killed  by  him.  The  pursuit  was  short.  The 
rebels  had  been  too  severely  handled  to  approach  within 
reach  of  the  muskets  of  these  dusky  warriors ;  and,  after 
firing  a  few  random  shots  with  their  artillery  into  the 
mountain,  they  left  for  the  Tennessee  river.  Their  loss 
was  one  Colonel  and  seventeen  men  killed,  and  forty  or 
fifty  wounded.  Ours  was  six  wounded. 

"The  men  on  duty  at  the  water  tank  were  captured, 
but  before  reaching  the  river  they  stampeded,  at  great 
personal  peril,  and  all  of  them  escaped  and  are  now  with 
their  commands. 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  191 

" There  were  some  interesting  incidents  that  took 
place  during  the  engagement,  worthy  to  be  mentioned. 

" After  the  men  had  been  driven  into  the  depot,  Lieu 
tenant  Hull  went  out  upon  the  platform  to  reconnoitre. 
The  enemy's  bullets  were  flying  thickly  around  him  when 
he  discovered  his  orderly  sergeant,  a  colored  man,  ap 
proaching  him.  The  Lieutenant  ordered  him  back  into 
the  building.  'I  wish  to  speak  to  you,'  said  the  ser 
geant.  'Very  well,'  replied  the  Lieutenant,  'speak 
quickly'.  'The  men  don't  want  to  surrender,'  continued 
the  sergeant.  The  response  from  the  Lieutenant  was, 
'Go  back  and  tell  them  that  while  a  man  of  us  lives  there 
will  be  no  surrender'. 

"The  sergeant  delivered  this  message,  and  a  wild 
shout  of  joy  went  up  from  the  beleaguered  garrison — a 
shout  that  assured  their  gallant  commander  that  there 
would  be  no  faltering  on  the  part  of  his  men  in  the 
deadly  conflict  which  was  rapidly  thickening  around 
them. 

"Another  incident.  A  colored  sergeant  named  An 
derson  had  his  leg  torn  off  by  the  explosion  of  one  of  the 
shells — and  afterwards  loaded  and  fired  his  musket  three 
times !  This  brave  soldier  has  since  died  of  his  wounds. 

"It  is  worthy  of  mention  that  these  soldiers  were 
mostly  new  recruits,  and  had  never  before  been  in  action, 
and  a  majority  of  them  had  not  even  been  mustered. 

"The  whole  affair  lasted  some  three  hours,  and  to 
give  an  idea  of  the  desperate  character  of  the  fighting  I 
will  mention  that  in  one  at  least  of  the  assaults  the  rebels 
came  so  close  to  the  building  that  they  seized  the  guns 
of  our  men  as  they  were  projected  through  the  loopholes 
in  the  brick  walls  of  the  depot  and  attempted  to  wrench 
them  from  the  grasp  of  those  inside. 

"Lieutenant  Hull,  a  resident  of  Ripley  County,  In 
diana,  was  formerly  an  enlisted  man  of  the  83d  Indiana, 
and  is  a  brother,  I  am  informed,  of  the  gallant  Colonel 


192  REMINISCENCES 


Hull,  of  the  37th  Indiana,  whose  name  is  so  familiar  in 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland. 

"I  am  not  acquainted  with  the  history  of  Lieutenant 
Smart,  but  it  is  just  to  add  that  Lieutenant  Hull  speaks 
in  terms  of  the  highest  praise  of  his  courage  and  ef 
ficiency  in  the  contest. 

Respectfully  yours, 

WM.  P.  LYON, 
"Col.  13th  Wis.  V.  I.,  Comd'g." 

"Hnntsville,  Ala.,  Sun.  Eve.,  Jan.  15,  1865.— Sun 
day  brings  me  but  little  respite  from  labor,  and  it  is  late 
in  the  evening  before  I  can  find  time  to  write  to  you  my 
usual  Sunday  letter. 

"I  returned  last  evening  from  a  trip  of  two  days  up 
the  railroad.  My  principal  business  was  to  post  and  re 
arrange  the  troops  along  the  line.  I  was  on  the  cars  all 
night  Friday  night,  and  of  course  I  came  home  pretty 
well  tired  out.  Captain  Stevens  of  the  18th  Michigan, 
Brigade  Inspector,  went  with  me.  I  went  to  Stevenson. 

aWe  have  quite  a  family  now,  the  Brigade  Staff 
being  with  me,  three  officers  and  three  or  four  clerks  and 
orderlies.  This  will  only  last,  however,  until  Colonel 
Doolittle's  return.  We  expect  him  every  day. 

"I  have  just  received  the  commissions  for  the  new 
officers.  They  are  Kummel,  Lieut. -Colonel ;  Cobb,  Cap 
tain  ;  Auld,  1st  Lieut,  and  Gibbs,  2d  Lieut,,  Co.  A.  Hall, 
Captain,  and  Cheney,  1st  Lieut,,  Co.  B.  Fish,  Captain ; 
Bard  well,  1st  Lieut, ;  Loucks,  2d  Lieut.,  Co.  C.  Patch- 
in,  1st  Lieut.,  Co.  D.  Briggs,  1st  Lieut.,  Co.  F.  Pratt, 
1st  Lieut,,  and  Beckwith,  2d  Lieut.,  Co.  H.  Wemple, 
Captain,  and  Hollister,  1st  Lieut.,  Co.  K.  The  rest 
are  the  old  officers.  Captain  Randall  writes  me  that 
under  a  late  order  he  is  entitled  to  be  mustered  out  of 
the  service  and  is  going  out.  He  veteranized,  you  know. 
If  there  is  such  an  order  I  think  Captains  Blake  and 


OF   THE  CIVIL  WAR  193 


Noyes,  Lieutenant  Balis,  perhaps  the  Quartermaster 
and  Dr.  Evans,  will  go  out,  which  will  give  a  chance  for 
more  promotions.  I  intend  to  make  Matson  a  Lieuten 
ant  in  Company  G,  unless  the  Quartermaster  goes  out, 
in  which  case  I  shall  probably  give  him  that  position." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Sun.,  Jan.  22,  1865.— I  was  up 
the  railroad  looking  after  matters  there  last  week  and 
returned  here  last  evening.  We  are  just  commencing  to 
build  block  houses  for  the  defense  of  the  road.  We  make 
them  artillery  proof  and  it  requires  a  great  deal  of  work 
to  build  them.  I  pay  more  attention  to  this  part  of  my 
command  than  to  any  other. 

"A  new  order  lets  out  all  of  our  officers  who  have 
served  three  years  consecutively  in  any  one  grade.  Un 
der  it  Blake,  Hewitt,  Randall,  Balis  and  Wemple  go  out. 
They  are  all  mustered  out  except  Balis,  who  leaves  to 
morrow.  Captain  Kummel  was  here  a  few  days  ago  and 
mustered  in  as  Lieut. -Colonel. 

"I  have  just  received  an  order  to  go  to  Nashville  as 
a  witness  for  the  defense  in  the  case  of  Colonel  Ander 
son,  of  the  12th  Indiana  Cavalry,  who  is  on  trial  for 
ordering  a  young  man,  who  was  probably  a  guerilla,  to 
be  shot  last  summer  at  Brownsboro.  I  shall  probably 
start  on  Tuesday  morning  and  shall  be  absent  about  six 
days.  I  will  write  you  from  there. 

"Everything  moves  quietly  and  comfortably  here. 
The  presence  of  an  army  gives  a,  feeling  of  security  to 
which  I  have  been  a  stranger  for  many  months." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Wed.  Eve.,  Jan.  25,  1865.— I  did 
not  get  ready  to  start  for  Nashville  until  this  morning, 
and  as  the  train  was  detained  by  the  breaking  down  of  a 
bridge  near  Brownsboro,  I  postponed  until  tomorrow 
morning.  I  leave  at  6:30,  and  as  the  weather  is  now 
quite  cold  for  this  country  I  am  not  much  delighted 
with  the  idea  of  turning  out  before  daylight  and  then 


194  REMINISCENCES 

riding  in  a  caboose  or  box  car.    There  is  no  change  in  my 
command  or  in  the  situation  of  affairs  here." 

"Huntsville,  Ala,,  Feb.  3,  1865. — I  returned  from 
Nashville  last  evening.  Our  stay  here  is  uncertain.  A 
good  many  movements  and  changes  are  taking  place, 
and  no  one  can  tell  how  soon  our  turn  will  come  to  be 
sent  to  some  other  field  of  labor.  One  division  of  the  4th 
Corps  has  just  gone  from  here  to  Eastport,  and  I  learn 
that  another  division  is  ordered  in  the  direction  of  Knox- 
ville.  It  is  possible  and  quite  probable  that  the  remain 
ing  division  of  that  corps  may  be  kept  on  duty  here  and 
in  this  vicinity,  in  which  case  we  should  be  sent  to  some 
other  place. 

"If  I  do  not  go  out  of  the  service  next  fall,  I  will 
try  to  get  a  leave  of  absence  next  summer  and  visit  you. 
I  can  be  mustered  out  September  26th  next,  but  you 
know  I  made  some  promises  to  the  regiment  to  remain 
with  them. 

"When  I  got  back  I  found  that  the  Adjutant  had 
moved  headquarters.  We  have  full  as  good  a  place  as 
before.  I  wrote  you  from  Nashville  that  Colonel  Doo- 
little  had  returned  and  taken  command  of  the  post.  I 
have  my  old  railroad  command,  which  gives  me  enough 
to  do  without  crowding  me.  I  am  very  pleasantly  situ 
ated  indeed,  if  it  only  lasts.  The  evidence  that  I  have 
more  leisure  is  the  fact  that  I  write  longer  letters.  This 
soldiering  is  rather  uncertain  business. 

"I  was  handsomely  entertained  while  in  Nashville 
by  Major  Bigney,  and  had  a  pleasant  time.  Nashville 
and  Edgefield  look  much  as  usual;  about  the  same 
amount  of  army  wagons,  mud,  mules  and  shoulder 
straps  as  there  was  last  winter." 

"Huntsville,  Ala,,  Sun.,  Feb.  5,  1865.— I  have  not 
been  more  pleasantly  situated  since  I  have  been  in  the 
army.  I  have  just  enough  to  do  to  prevent  time  from 
passing  heavily,  without  being  at  all  crowded.  Then  I 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  195 

have  good  quarters,  a  pleasant  command,  and  business 
which  suits  me,  The  same  doubt  and  uncertainty  hang 
over  our  future  movements  that  have  kept  me  from  send 
ing  for  you.  Colonel  Doolittle,  of  the  18th  Michigan,  is 
making  a  strong  effort  to  get  his  regiment  in  the  4th 
Army  Corps.  If  he  succeeds  it  may  throw  me  in  com 
mand  of  this  post  again,  a  position  that  is  an  unmiti 
gated  nuisance  to  any  one,  and  which  I  am  anxious  to 
keep  out  of." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Wed.,  Feb.  8,  1865.— The  division 
of  the  4th  Army  Corps  that  left  here  some  days  since  has 
returned,  and  we  found  it  necessary  this  morning  to  give 
up  our  headquarters,  and  it  has  taken  us  all  day  to  find 
another  place.  Everything  in  the  shape  of  a  house  here 
is  full  to  overflowing,  and  I  think  we  shall  not  be  as 
comfortably  situated  hereafter.  I  have  not  seen  the 
house  assigned  to  us.  Moulton  and  his  wife  are  to  live 
writh  us.  She  is  to  oversee  the  mess  affairs  and  try  to 
stop  some  leaks  through  which  we  are  satisfied  large 
amounts  of  rations  are  lost,  Ultimately  she  will  prob 
ably  do  our  cooking  and  we  will  get  rid  of  our  negro 
help.  Our  expenses  are  so  heavy  that  the  Adjutant  and 
I  both  thought  on  consultation  that  this  experiment  was 
worth  trying. 

"Everything  seems  to  indicate  a  radical  change  in 
our  affairs  here  very  soon,  either  of  commanders  or  lo 
cation,  and  perhaps  both.  I  do  not  think  we  shall  re 
main  in  Huntsville  long,  but  where  we  shall  go  I  have 
not  the  least  idea.  We  received  98  new  recruits  from 
Wisconsin  last  evening.  Captain  Kingman  is  home  on 
leave  of  absence  and  will  probably  call  on  you  while 
there." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Sun.,  Feb.  12,  1865.— We  have 
gotten  settled  and  are  very  comfortable  again.  We  live 
much  better  and  I  think  cheaper  since  we  got  Mrs.  Moul 
ton.  We  discharged  Minty,  and  by  so  doing  stopped 


196  REMINISCENCES 

some  leaks.  She  is  a  good,  faithful  woman,  but  has  a 
lazy,  good-for-nothing  husband,  who  was  a  perfect  nui 
sance  to  us;  and  we  could  not  get  rid  of  him  without 
letting  her  go,  too. 

"Companies  C  and  G  started  for  Claysville  yester 
day,  but  Moulton  remains  here  on  duty  at  our  headquar 
ters.  The  Adjutant  has  a  brother  here  in  business  who 
lives  with  us.  He  served  three  years  in  an  Illinois  regi 
ment  as  a  private.  I  have  taken  a  long  ride  today 
through  the  camps  of  the  4th  Army  Corps,  visiting  the 
24th  Wisconsin." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Wed.,  Feb.  18,  1865.— I  find  my 
self  very  busy  again.  Colonel  Doolittle  left  for  Nash 
ville  this  morning,  and  I  have  to  command  the  post  dur 
ing  his  absence,  which  will  be  several  days.  General 
Granger  expects  to  go  North  in  a  few  days  on  leave  of 
absence. 

"We  live  quite  in  ,the  suburbs  of  the  town,  some 
little  distance  from  where  the  rest  of  the  officers  are 
quartered.  I  see  Major-General  Stanley  sometimes,  and 
my  relations  with  him  are  very  pleasant.  He  remem 
bered  me  as  having  served  in  his  command  at  Corinth. 

"An  old  lady  here,  a  Mrs.  Rogers,  one  of  the  F.  F. 
V.'s,  has  just  returned  from  Washington,  where  she 
went  to  try  and  get  her  grandson,  who  is  a  rebel  pris 
oner,  paroled.  I  gave  her  a  letter  of  introduction  to 
Senator  Doolittle,  who  has  treated  her  with  great  kind 
ness  and  said  many  nice  things  to  her  about  me.  She 
thinks  I  have  more  influence  than  any  of  the  Generals  in 
the  department,  and  I  hear  of  her  talking  about  it  every 
where.  It  quite  sets  me  up." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Sun.,  Feb.  19,  1865.— Colonel 
Doolittle  has  been  promoted  to  a  Brigadier,  and  this  will 
probably  lead  to  some  change  in  my  duties.  If  he  is  as 
signed  to  some  other  command,  which  is  quite  probable, 
I  will  be  apt  to  stay  here,  permanent  commander  of  the 


OP  THE  CIVIL  WAR  197 

post.  In  that  case,  I  think  I  will  try  to  get  the  railroad 
defenses  off  my  hands.  All  this  is  on  the  supposition 
that  our  command  remains  here,  which  is  by  no  means  a 
settled  point  yet. 

"I  ride  a  little  brown  mare.  She  is  a  perfect 
little  beauty.  She  would  suit  you,  for  she  is  kind  and 
gentle  as  a  lamb. 

"I  frequently  see  General  Stanley,  and  I  hear  of  his 
saying  complimentary  things  of  me.  Do  you  think  that 
if  I  leave  the  service  next  fall  I  could  make  a  living  for 
us  in  Racine?  I  sometimes  have  my  doubts  about  it.  If 
the  war  was  over  I  think  I  could  make  a  living  here,  and 
a  good  deal  more.  There  is  a  splendid  opening  here  for 
a  few  good  Northern  lawyers.  Now  do  not  think  that  I 
am  contemplating  moving  here,  for  I  make  no  such  cal 
culations,  at  least  not  yet. 

"Lieut.-Colonel  Kummel  writes  us  that  a  fragment 
of  the  15th  Wisconsin,  Colonel  Heg's  old  regiment,  some 
sixty  in  number,  has  been  assigned  at  their  own  request 
to  the  13th.  They  have  not  yet  joined  us. 

"It  seems  almost  strange  to  me  to  live  as  I  now  do 
week  after  week  and  not  expect  an  attack;  yet  up  the 
railroad  my  men  have  fights  with  the  guerillas  quite 
frequently.  These  are  usually  small  affairs,  however." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Thurs.,  Feb.  23,  1865.— General 
Granger  is  going  North  on  leave  of  absence,  and  General 
Doolittle  takes  command  of  the  district  in  his  place.  It 
looks  so  much  like  our  remaining  here  for  some  time  that 
I  am  tempted  to  give  you  marching  orders  for  Hunts 
ville.  Indeed,  I  sent  to  Nashville  two  days  since  for  a 
pass  for  you  and  Minerva,  and  hope  that  by  the  time  I 
get  it,  which  will  doubtless  be  in  a  few  days,  I  will  see 
my  way  clear  to  tell  you  to  come.  Captain  Kingman  is  in 
Wisconsin,  and  if  you  can  get  ready  to  come  back  with 
him  it  will  be  convenient  for  you.  Should  the  permit  be 
refused,  I  shall  take  it  as  an  indication  that  we  are  not 


198  REMINISCENCES 

to  remain  here.  I  do  not  dare  to  have  you  bring  either 
of  the  children,  much  as  I  would  like  to  have  them  with 
us. 

"The  men  from  the  15th  Wisconsin  (Colonel  Heg?s 
regiment)  reached  us  last  night,  I  learn  that  there  are 
some  sixty  of  them.  Dr.  Cady,  our  new  Assistant  Sur 
geon,  has  arrived.  He  lives  at  Kibbourn  City.  He  used 
to  practice  at  Canaan  Four  Corners,  Columbia  County, 
N.  Y.  He  knows  lots  of  people  that  I  used  to  know.  I 
like  him." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Feb.  26,  1865.— I  took  command 
of  the  post  and  brigade  again  yesterday.  General  Doo- 
little  has  taken  command  of  the  district.  So  I  have 
plenty  of  work  on  my  hands  again  and  am  likely  to  have 
for  some  time  to  come.  I  am  getting  my  heart  so  set  on 
your  coming  that  I  begin  to  feel  almost  nervous  for  fear 
that  we  shall  be  ordered  away." 

"Huntsville,  Ala,,  March  2,  1865.— I  write  this 
morning  in  the  office,  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  officers, 
therefore  can  write  but  little.  I  do  not  hear  a  word  from 
my  application  for  leave  for  you  to  visit  me.  The  failure 
to  answer  is  equivalent  to  a  refusal,  and  I  fear  that  we 
must  give  it  up.  There  may  be  a  good  reason,  but  I  do 
not  believe  it,  yet  we  are  compelled  in  this  service  to  en 
dure  a  good  many  annoying  and  humiliating  things. 

"I  see  the  people  North  are  in  high  spirits  over  the 
evacuation  of  Charleston  and  Wilmington,  etc.  I  am 
entirely  unable  to  see  the  importance  of  these  evacua 
tions  to  us.  I  can  not  see  that  these  movements  will  have 
much  influence  in  closing  the  war.  We  must  crush  and 
destroy  their  armies  before  the  war  will  end,  and  we  are 
making  but  little  headway  in  that  direction  in  the  East. 
But  we  must  be  patient,  and  if  there  is  another  year  of 
heavy  fighting  we  must  not  be  surprised  or  disheartened. 
We  are  bound  to  conquer  in  the  end." 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  199 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  March  5, 1865. — I  hope  the  war  is 
drawing  to  a  close;  I  believe  it  is.  One  victory  like 
Thomas'  over  Hood  is  worth  more  to  our  cause,  does 
more  to  put  down  the  rebellion,  than  the  evacuation  of 
twenty  cities.  It  uses  up  their  armies,  while  the  evacua 
tion  of  these  places  concentrates  their  armies  and  makes 
them  actually  stronger.  The  war  will  continue  until  we 
succeed  in  dispersing  and  breaking  up  their  armies.  I 
hope,  and  almost  believe,  that  Grant  and  Sherman  will 
do  this  in  the  East,  as  Thomas  has  in  the  West ;  but  the 
people  must  be  patient.  It  can  not  be  done  in  a  day  or  a 
month. 

"The  most  hopeful  sign  of  the  times  is  the  activity 
North  in  raising  troops.  I  am  glad  that  the  Governor 
gave  George  Ginty  a  regiment.  He  is  worthy  and  cap 
able.  I  rejoice  at  his  success.  I  hear  that  he  is  ordered 
to  Nashville,  and  shall  be  pleased  to  get  him  down  this 
way ;  but  the  new  regiments  are  being  sent  towards  Chat 
tanooga  and  Knoxville,  and  very  likely  Colonel  Ginty's 
will  go  in  the  same  direction." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  March  8,  1865. — We  are  in  fine 
spirits  today,  for  we  have  just  heard  that  Sheridan  has 
cleaned  out  Early  in  the  Shenandoah  valley,  capturing 
him  and  nearly  his  whole  army.  We  all  believe  this  and 
rejoice,  for  it  is  by  such  blows  as  these,  and  these  only, 
that  this  war  will  be  ended. 

"I  attended  a  review  of  the  4th  Corps  yesterday. 
There  were  6,000  or  7,000  troops  in  line  and  they  made 
a  fine  appearance.  There  are  no  signs  of  any  movement 
of  troops  here  yet.  About  20,000  lie  around  here  doing 
little  or  nothing." 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Sun.,  March  12,  1865.— The  rail 
road  is  again  repaired,  and  the  first  train  came  through 
from  Nashville  last  night.  I  found  out  yesterday  why 
everything  has  worked  against  your  coming  here.  I  re 
ceived  an  order  assigning  the  13th  Regiment  to  the  4th 


200  REMINISCENCES 

Army  Corps,  and  this  corps  commences  moving  tomor 
row  for  East  Tennessee,  probably  Knoxville.  No  troops 
have  come  on  yet  to  take  our  place,  and  it  may  be  some 
days  before  we  are  relieved.  At  the  same  time  I  received 
a  permit  for  you  to  come  to  Huntsville.  I  am  rather 
pleased  to  get  out  of  this  than  otherwise.  It  is  time  the 
regiment  moved  and  had  more  active  duty;  and  it  is 
more  creditable  to  serve  in  an  army  in  the  field  than 
back  in  the  rear.  I  am  satisfied  that  I  should  have  lost 
less  men  had  we  gone  with  Sherman  last  spring  than 
we  have  lost  by  reason  of  malaria.  Beside,  if  but  a  small 
force  is  left  back  here,  they  will  be  annoyed  with  raids 
all  summer,  and  will  be  in  more  real  peril  than  we  shall 
be  in  at  the  front.  I  do  not  see  much  of  a  fighting  pros 
pect  ahead. 

"The  activity  in  volunteering  at  the  North  is  the 
most  hopeful  sign  of  the  times.  We  shall  be  able  to  con 
front  the  rebels  everywhere  with  superior  numbers, 
which  will  soon,  I  trust,  finish  the  war. 

"In  my  next  I  will  send  the  permit.  I  do  not  send  it 
now,  fearing  you  would  be  the  more  disappointed  when 
you  read  this  letter. 

"The  guerillas  fired  on  the  train  last  night  between 
here  and  Stevenson,  killing  a  soldier  and  wounding  the 
engineer  severely.  The  guard  drove  them  away.  I  shall 
have  command  of  a  brigade  in  the  4th  Army  Corps,  I  am 
told.77 

"Huntsville,  Ala.,  Wed.,  March  15,  1865.  We  are 
still  here,  but  expect  to  get  off  on  Friday  or  Saturday. 
I  have  been  relieved  of  all  of  my  commands,  but  the  regi 
ment  is  not  yet  relieved.  We  expect  the  troops  tomor 
row  to  take  our  place.  It  will  be  some  new  regiment. 

"The  46th  Wisconsin,  Colonel  Lovell,  of  Kenosha, 
passed  here  yesterday  for  Athens.  Colonel  Ginty's  regi 
ment,,  I  hear,  is  at  Tullahoma,  The  movement  of  the  4th 
Corps  is  progressing.  One  advantage  in  going  to  the  field 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  201 

is  that  my  expenses  will  be  less.    I  have  to  keep  up  a 
General's  headquarters  with  a  Colonel's  pay." 


During  the  first  of  March  Captain  Kingman  wras 
home  on  leave  of  absence.  Before  leaving  for  the  South 
he  came  to  Racine  to  call  upon  me.  I  was  expecting  a 
passport  in  every  letter,  and  was  ready  to  start  for  the 
South  any  day  that  it  should  come.  I  decided  to  go 
South  with  Captain  Kingman,  for  I  felt  that  I  could  go 
as  far  South  as  Nashville,  and  thought  that  if  I  could  go 
no  further  Mr.  Lyon  could  no  doubt  come  to  Nashville 
to  see  me. 

I  left  for  the  South  on  the  13th  of  March,  with  Cap 
tain  Kingman  and  Minerva.  We  left  Chicago  at  9  p.  m., 
on  the  16th,  riding  all  night.  We  reached  Cairo  at  8 
o'clock  the  next  evening,  just  in  time  to  take  the  boat. 
The  packet  Armada  was  just  ready  to  start,  so  we  went 
on  board  immediately,  considering  ourselves  very  fortu 
nate,  for  there  were  some  ladies  there  who  had  been  wait- 
ing  three  days  for  the  boat. 

MRS.  LYON'S  DIARY. 

March  15,  1865. — The  boat  is  tied  up  to  a  tree  on 
the  Cumberland  river.  The  wind  is  so  high  they  dare  not 
run  for  fear  of  running  into  the  woods,  for  the  banks  are 
all  under  water.  The  river  has  not  been  so  high  in  fif 
teen  years.  The  water  is  up  to  the  chamber  windows  of 
all  the  houses  along  the  shore.  Yesterday  one  of  the 
houses  was  floating  in  the  river  and  some  men  took  a 
boat  and  went  out  to  it.  They  found  in  it  the  bodies  of  a 
man  and  woman  and  five  children.  I  presume  we  shall 
hear  of  more  such  cases.  We  have  seen  a  number  of 
horses  and  cattle  floating  down  the  river,  all  dead. 


202  REMINISCENCES 

March  16,  1865.— The  boat  was  tied  up  all  night.  I 
wonder  if  it  will  be  tonight.  We  rode  all  day.  We 
thought  we  saw  the  body  of  a  man  in  the  driftwood  to 
day.  We  still  pass  lots  of  cattle  floating  in  the  river. 

March  17,  1865. — The  boat  was  tied  up  again  last 
night.  We  have  gone  very  slowly  today,  for  we  go 
against  a  strong  tide.  We  arrived  at  Nashville  after 
dark. 

"March  18,  1865. — I  am  very  tired,  for  I  have  not 
slept  much  on  the  boat.  I  have  had  no  trouble,  have  not 
needed  any  passes,  nor  has  it  cost  me  anything  yet  ex 
cepting  porter's  fees.  At  Smithland  we  changed  boats. 
Here  we  took  the  Cumberland  river.  We  went  on  the 
Superior,  whose  business  it  is  to  transfer  troops.  The 
44th  Wisconsin  was  on  this  steamer.  I  was  the  only 
woman  (except  Minerva)  on  the  steamer,  and  felt  con 
siderably  out  of  place. 

As  soon  as  we  reached  Nashville  I  went  to  a  hotel, 
ordered  a  room  and  went  to  bed.  I  wrapped  myself  in 
my  shawl  and  got  into  the  dirty  sheets.  There  was  so 
much  noise  in  the  house  that  I  could  not  get  to  sleep 
until  late.  I  then  heard  a  mouse  nibbling  at  my  lunch, 
which  was  on  the  table  at  the  head  of  the  bed.  Then  the 
bugs  would  bite  me.  I  would  get  almost  asleep,  when 
the  mouse  would  nibble  again,  and  so  on  until  morning. 

Sunday,  March  19,  1865. — Ira  Button  came  up  this 
morning  from  Huntsville,  but  did  not  know  that  we 
were  here.  He  told  me  that  our  regiment  is  assigned  to 
the  4th  Army  Corps  and  is  ordered  to  Knoxville.  They 
would  have  started  today  but  there  was  no  regiment  to 
take  their  place.  I  shall  go  on  to  Huntsville,  and  if  they 
will  take  me  will  go  on  to  Knoxville  with  them.  If  I  can 
go  I  can  see  more  of  the  country  than  I  expected  to. 

Now  I  have  had  some  more  good  luck.  Ira  just 
brought  General  Granger  aide-de-camp  and  introduced 
him  to  me.  He  tells  me  that  General  Granger  and  wife 


OF   THE  CIVIL  WAR  203 

are  going  this  afternoon  to  Huntsville  on  a  special  train. 
Major  Bigney  told  him  that  I  wanted  to  go  to  Hunts 
ville.  After  making  a  short  call  he  left,  but  soon  re 
turned  with  a  note  from  General  Granger  inviting  me  to 
accompany  them  this  afternoon.  I  very  gladly  accepted 
the  invitation.  The  railroad  is  now  repaired  from  here 
to  Stevenson,  and  by  going  with  them  I  shall  go  through 
without  waiting  at  Stevenson,  as  I  had  expected  to  do. 
Ira  asked  me  if  he  should  send  a  telegram  to  the  Colonel, 
but  I  told  him  no,that  I  wanted  to  surprise  him. 

March  20,  1865.— I  started  for  Huntsville  with 
Minerva  at  2  p.  m.  Mrs.  Granger  ^ml  her  sister  were 
with  the  General.  I  had  met  him  before.  I  found  both 
ladies  very  agreeable.  We  had  quite  a  jolly  night  of  it. 
Our  sleeper  was  a  caboose,  and  our  easy  chairs  were 
cracker  boxes.  There  were  two  chairs  in  the  car,  which 
we  occupied  alternately.  Of  course,  we  had  to  do  some 
thing  to  keep  awake,  as  we  could  not  lie  down.  I  thought 
the  General's  special  car  would  have  a  few  more  con 
veniences.  He  apologized  for  the  accommodations,  but 
I  was  glad  enough  to  go  if  the  accommodations  were 
poor.  The  road  was  very  rough.  It  has  not  been  bal- 
asted  since  it  was  repaired,  and  this  is  the  first  train  that 
has  been  over  it. 

Huntsville,  March  21,  1865. — We  arrived  here 
safely,  notwithstanding  all  the  dangers  we  have  escaped. 
Whenever  we  wrould  get  sleepy,  some  of  the  officers  would 
tell  of  some  escape  or  of  the  trains  being  fired  into.  Ours 
was  a  wild  train  and  would  not  be  expected ;  therefore 
the  General  thought  it  was  in  no  danger  of  being  fired 
into.  When  we  reached  here  a  beautiful  barouche  met 
them  at  the  cars.  The  General  kindly  invited  me  to  ride 
with  them,  and  Minerva  rode  with  the  driver.  He  took 
the  ladies  to  the  hotel  and  then  took  us  to  William's 
headquarters.  I  went  in  and  found  Mrs.  Moulton.  Wil 
liam  had  gone  down  town. 


204  REMINISCENCES 

We  reached  here  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
They  did  not  expect  William  back  until  dinner,  so  I  had 
a  good  rest  before  he  got  here.  When  he  got  back  he 
came  up  to  the  room,  not  expecting  to  see  any  one,  and 
was  very  much  surprised  to  find  me  here.  The  first  thing 
he  said  was,  "I  have  just  written  for  you  not  to  come 
here.  We  are  ordered  away  and  go  in  a  day  or  two." 
But  he  forgave  me,  however,  for  coming.  Mrs.  Moulton 
said  she  would  not  have  been  more  pleased  to  see  her  own 
sister  than  to  see  me. 

Jerry  also  had  a  great  surprise.  Mrs.  Moulton  sent 
him  for  something  into  another  room  where  Minerva 
was  sitting.  We  were  on  hand  to  hear  what  he  would 
say,  and  when  he  saw  her  he  stood  perfectly  still  with 
his  mouth  wide  open  and  his  big  eyes  bunged  out,  star 
ing  at  her.  She  said,  "Why,  Jerry !  Ain't  you  glad  to 
see  me?"  He  said,  "Sartain,  sure,  I  thought  it  was  your 
ghost  until  you  spoke." 

March  22, 1865. — There  is  a  railroad  as  far  as  Knox- 
ville,  and  William  wishes  me  to  go  with  him ;  and  if  the 
regiment  should  be  ordered  farther,  I  can  return  from 
there  at  any  time;  and  since  I  am  here  he  wants  me  to 
see  all  of  the  South  that  I  can.  The  band  came  last  night 
and  serenaded  us.  They  play  beautifully  now.  They 
have  improved  very  much.  They  always  come  and 
serenade  me  as  soon  as  they  know  I  have  come  to  camp. 

Huntsville,  March  24, 1865. — William  and  I  went  to 
see  the  city.  It  is  a  beautiful  city,  the  pride  of  the  South. 
It  is  beautifully  situated.  There  are  a  great  many  very 
handsome  homes  here,  and  every  appearance  of  luxuri 
ous  living.  The  colored  quarters  are  all  separate  from 
the  main  house.  A  great  many  residents  have  left  their 
homes  and  left  their  houses  filled  with  furniture,  carpets 
and  everything,  just  as  they  were  living  here.  William 
has  taken  the  Academy  again  for  a  hospital.  The  citi 
zens  do  not  like  it,  but  there  seems  to  be  no  other  place. 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  205 

We  have  orders  to  start  for  East  Tennessee  in  the  morn 
ing. 

March  25,  1865. — We  started  this  morning  at  nine 
o'clock.  The  train  ran  off  the  track  six  miles  out  and 
had  to  stay  there  seven  hours.  I  saw  the  hills  on  which 
the  rebels  had  guns  planted  and  often  fired  at  the  trains, 
especially  if  they  were  transporting  soldiers.  We  ar 
rived  at  Stevenson  safely. 

March  26,  1865. — Went  through  Chattanooga  and 
the  mountains  today.  Saw  Lookout  Mountain,  where 
General  Hooker  fought  and  bled  above  the  clouds.  The 
scenery  here  is  very  grand.  We  saw  Mission  Ridge  also. 
The  city  is  built  in  the  valley  near  Lookout  Mountain. 
We  had  our  dinner  here.  The  boys  built  fires  and  made 
coffee  in  a  few  minutes.  We  had  hard  tack  and  coffee 
and  a  little  cold  meat. 

Near  Loudon  we  were  going  through  a  ledge  of  rocks 
that  extends  out  over  the  Tennessee  river,  when  an  axle 
broke  and  two  or  three  of  the  cars  were  wrecked.  They 
were  smashed  into  pieces  as  small  as  kindling  wood. 
The  engine  and  tender,  and  I  think  some  baggage  cars, 
went  through  this  ledge  of  rocks  all  right.  The  cars 
loaded  with  supplies  were  broken  up  the  most.  A  car 
that  the  mules  were  in  stood  on  one  end  and  the  poor  ani 
mals  were  jammed  into  the  lower  end  of  the  car.  The  reg 
iment  were  riding  on  the  top  of  the  cars,  and  when  they 
saw  there  was  something  the  matter  they  turned  the 
brakes  and  ran  to  both  ends  of  the  train  and  there  was 
not  a  man  hurt.  Their  thoughtfulness  in  turning  the 
brakes  saved  the  rest  of  the  train.  The  caboose  that  we 
were  in  just  hung  over  the  river.  It  was  a  miraculous 
escape.  They  thought  that  some  of  the  mules  would  be 
dead,  but  they  chopped  the  car  open  as  soon  as  they 
could,  to  get  them  out.  As  they  got  them  out  they  would 
shake  themselves  and  walk  off.  Some  limped,  but  none 


206  REMINISCENCES 

were  killed.  We  went  back  to  London  and  stayed  until 
the  track  was  repaired. 

March  27. — We  took  the  train  yesterday  towards 
night,  the  road  having  been  repaired.  Today  we  got  to 
Knoxville.  We  found  orders  that  they  were  to  guard 
and  conduct  a  train  of  ambulances  across  the  country, 
and  the  men  were  to  march.  I  expected  to  go  back  from 
Knoxville,  but  William  says  that  I  shall  not  go  home, 
but  go  as  far  as  they  go  with  the  train,  for  there  is  plenty 
of  ambulance  room.  We  went  ten  miles  on  a  fearful 
road  over  the  mountains. 

March  28,  1865. — We  started  this  morning  at  six 
o'clock.  We  went  over  the  mountains,  and  forded  the 
rivers.  There  is  only  a  track  for  one  horse,  and  we  are 
traveling  with  six  mules.  The  people  here  all  ride 
horseback  and  have  no  use  for  roads.  I  have  been  very 
nervous  all  day.  We  went  through  places  where  there 
is  no  road,  and  it  seemed  impossible  to  get  through.  But 
we  did,  however,  get  through  to  New  Market  about  five 
o'clock.  We  came  through  Strawberry  Plains.  Had  our 
dinner  there,  coffee  and  hard  crackers  again. 

The  4th  Army  Corps  makes  a  large  army.  They  put 
up  the  tent  and  we  ate  our  supper  and  thought  we  should 
be  there  for  some  time.  We  fixed  up  our  bed  as  well  as 
we  could  and  I  went  to  bed.  This  was  my  first  experi 
ence  in  sleeping  on  the  ground.  William  and  the  Adju 
tant  sent  over  to  town  and  found  that  they  were  ordered 
to  go  to  Bull's  Gap  at  six  o'clock  tomorrow  morning.  In 
coining  from  town  they  rode  over  an  opossum.  The 
darkies  were  much  pleased  to  get  it.  They  sat  up  nearly 
all  night  in  order  to  have  it  for  breakfast. 

Now  we  have  gotten  to  the  end  of  the  railroad  and 
we  women  must  go  back  to  Knoxville.  The  Adjutant 
goes  with  us.  William  left  him  to  take  care  of  us.  We 
had  to  get  up  early  to  get  packed  again  to  move. 

March  29,  1865. — After  the  march  of  yesterday  it 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  207 

took  some  courage  to  get  started.  The  Adjutant  and 
Jerry  went  with  us.  The  Adjutant  went  to  town  for  a 
conveyance  for  us,  and  we  had  to  say  good-bye  to*  our 
husbands.  The  Adjutant  found  a  mule  team  and  double 
wagon,  and  we  all  got  in  with  our  traps  and  went  to  the 
depot.  We  waited  there  for  the  train,  but  it  did  not- 
come  on  time.  After  a  while  we  learned  that  it  had  run 
through  a  bridge  and  would  not  be  in  for  several  days, 
The  Adjutant  then  found  a  place  in  town  where  we 
might  stay  a  few  days.  We  are  making  ourselves  as  com 
fortable  as  we  can.  We  are  staying  with  a  Union  family 
who  are  Quakers. 

New  Market,  March  30. — Cool  and  rainy.  We  find 
these  people  very  friendly.  They  are  very  glad  to  ac 
commodate  us.  Mrs.  Pierce  showed  us  a  room  in  the 
center  of  the  house  that  they  built  on  purpose  to  protect 
her  husband  and  boys  when  they  come  home.  Mr.  Pierce 
is  home  now.  He  is  not  well,  and  the  rebels  let  him 
alone,  but  they  are  bent  on  getting  the  boys,  because 
they  are  Union  boys. 

Our  life  is  very  monotonous.  It  seems  too  bad  to 
stay  here  when  the  regiment  is  so  near,  only  about  thirty- 
five  miles  from  here.  Mrs.  Moulton  and  I  took  a  long 
walk  over  the  hills.  It  is  a  very  pretty  country.  A  little 
girl  brought  me  a  nice  bouquet  because  we  are  Union 
people;  but  this  family  are  very  careful  about  talking, 
for  fear  of  being  heard.  They  shut  the  doors  if  they 
want  to  talk. 

April  2. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierce,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moul 
ton  and  I  went  to  the  cemetery.  Mr.  Pierce  is  a  very 
strong  Union  man.  When  we  got  there  he  was  not 
afraid  to  express  himself.  He  would  like  to  get  away 
from  here. 

The  Adjutant  went  yesterday  to  Bull's  Gap  to  help 
with  the  month's  report.  He  has  returned  today.  Wil 
liam  sent  for  me  to  go  up  there  to  see  him  again.  They 


208  KEMINISCENCES 

do  not  know  how  long  they  may  stay  there.  Mrs.  Moul- 
ton  and  Minerva  will  have  to  go  on  a  wagon  with  the 
trunks.  They  have  made  up  a  train  with  a  pony  engine 
and  one  box  car,  and  that  is  all  there  is  to  use  this  side 
of  the  break  in  the  road.  They  are  not  willing  to  take 
passengers,  but  decided  that  they  would  take  the  Adju 
tant  and  me. 

April  3. — We  were  nearly  all  day  on  the  road.  Had 
dinner  on  the  cars,  what  the  men  had  provided  for  them 
selves,  about  like  a  soldier's  dinner,  something  to  keep 
the  stomach  from  getting  empty.  William  met  us  at 
the  depot.  We  walked  to  the  camp.  They  have  selected 
a  very  pleasant  spot  about  half  a  mile  from  the  depot, 
and  all  the  way  up  hill.  I  was  so  glad  to  get  there. 

Bull's  Gap,  April  4. — I  expect  we  shall  stay  here 
some  time,  they  are  so  nicely  situated.  The  whole  4th 
Corps  makes  a  fine  show  in  camp.  W^e  shall  settle  down 
now  and  have  a  nice  visit  after  all. 

Later. — We  have  just  had  orders  to  march  to  Green 
ville  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning.  What  a  long  rest ! 

April  5. — We  marched  through  to  Greenville,  19 
miles.  I  was  the  only  lady  from  the  13th.  We  started 
off  behind  balky  mules.  They  ran  down  every  hill,  and 
would  not  go  up  the  hills.  They  finally  ran  off  a  bridge 
at  the  bottom  of  a  hill.  Colonel  McConnell  came  to  my 
rescue  and  I  then  rode  with  Mrs.  Moody  in  a  pleasant 
ambulance  with  the  2d  Division.  Got  to  camp  and  put 
up  the  tent  to  stay.  We  think  we  will  get  a  good  rest 
here. 


COLONEL  LYON'S  LETTERS. 

"March  19, 1865. — I  was  awakened  about  ten  o'clock 
last  night  by  one  of  the  boys,  who  told  me  I  had  a  tele 
gram  from  home  but  there  was  no  bad  news  in  it.  It  wavs 


OF   THE   CIVIL   WAR  209 

from  Janesville,  announcing  my  nomination  as  Circuit 
Judge.  I  am  entirely  in  the  dark  about  the  position  of 
affairs  there,  but  if  matters  are  as  I  suppose  I  see  no 
earthly  chance  for  my  election.  I  concluded,  however, 
that  a  defeat  would  not  hurt  me  much  and  so  accepted 
the  nomination.  It  is  tantalizing  to  be  a  candidate  for 
so  important  a  place  and  know  nothing  of  your  position 
or  prospects.  The  time  is  so  short  between  the  nomina 
tion  and  the  date  of  election  that  I  shall  probably  lose 
most  of  the  army  vote.  I  shall  not  be  unhappy  about  it 
if  I  am  defeated,  and  you  must  not  be." 

WRITTEN   AT   GREENVILLE. 

"We  made  a  long  march  and  reached  here,  75  miles 
above  Knoxville,  last  evening.  We  have  orders  to  move 
on  to  Jonesboro,  35  miles  further.  Adelia  travels  in  an 
ambulance,  and  we  are  well  and  happy. 

"The  13th  did  not  vote.  I  know  that  I  am  beaten 
and  I  did  not  care  to  swell  my  vote  with  that  of  my  own 
regiment.  They  would  all  have  voted  for  me.  I  have 
never  expected  for  a  moment  to  be  elected.  I  suppose  I 
am  defeated  by  at  least  5,000.  I  know  that  some  of  my 
best  friends  were  committed  to  Judge  Noggle  long  before 
I  was  nominated,  and  could  not  do  otherwise  than  sup 
port  him. 

"Everybody  is  in  good  spirits  over  the  news  from 
Richmond.77 


MRS.  LYON7S  DIARY. 

Greenville,  April  6, 1865. — There  seems  to  be  no  rest 
for  us.  Yesterday  we  were  indulging  in  the  hope  of 
staying  here  for  some  time  and  had  quite  a  settled  feel 
ing.  If  I  had  not  been  tired  I  would  have  unpacked  my 


210  REMINISCENCES 

trunks,  but  I  was  fortunate  in  not  doing  so.  We  are 
again  ordered  to  march  to  Jonesboro,  35  miles  farther.  I 
shall  have  to  go  behind  the  mules  again. 

We  started.  The  mules  ran  down  the  hill  as  usual, 
and  when  we  were  three  miles  out  we  broke  an  axle.  I 
then  rode  in  an  ambulance  for  ten  miles,  seated  with 
the  driver.  Stayed  here  all  night.  Some  of  the  boys 
march  right  along  with  us  over  these  mountains  to  keep 
the  ambulance  from  turning  over,  the  road  is  so  steep 
and  sidling.  I  had  much  rather  march  than  to  ride  in 
this  way,  but  they  will  not  allow  me  to  for  fear  I  will  get 
sick ;  and  then  we  have  to  ford  so  many  rivers,  when  I 
have  to  be  in  the  carriage.  I  sometimes  think  we  never 
can  get  up  and  down  the  bank ;  but  I  find  it  much  better 
sitting  with  the  driver.  Since  we  have  been  on  this 
march  some  of  the  men  run  on  ahead  of  the  regiment, 
when  we  are  to  stop  over  night,  and  gather  hay  or  straw, 
or  get  pine  boughs  for  me  to  sleep  on.  They  do  not  seem 
to  think  that  I  am  in  the  way  at  all.  They  have  shown 
me  so  much  kindness  in  preparing  something  for  me  to 
sleep  on,  I  shall  never  forget  it. 

Jonesboro,  April  7. — The  General  sent  his  ambu 
lance  for  me  to  ride  in  this  morning.  I  am  very  glad,  I 
shall  be  much  more  comfortable.  He  apologized  for  not 
doing  it  before.  He  said  he  thought  I  had  been  provided 
for  more  comfortably,  and  that  he  would  see  that  I  was 
supplied  with  all  the  comforts  he  could  command. 

We  came  through  very  comfortably,  and  have  found 
a  good,  large  house  to  live  in.  We  have  the  parlor,  and 
a  large  room  with  a  good  bed,  where  we  can  rest  very 
well. 

Jonesboro,  April  8. — Find  the  people  very  pleasant, 
although  they  are  rebels.  We  shall  board  with  them 
until  Minerva  comes. 

Jonesboro,  Tues.,  April  17. — We  have  just  heard  the 
joyful  tidings  that  William  is  elected  Judge.  The  first 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  211 

Ave  knew  of  it  was  a  shout  from  the  regiment  that  made 
the  welkin  ring.  We  thought  they  had  got  a  mail  and 
that  they  had  news  of  some  great  victory;  so  William 
and  I  started  out  to  see  what  the  noise  was  about.  As 
soon  as  they  sawr  us  they  shouted,  " Hurrah  for  Judge 
Lyon".  The  mail  had  come  and  brought  papers  an 
nouncing  the  fact  of  his  election.  We  could  hardly  be 
lieve  it,  it  was  so  unexpected.  We  had  a  curiosity  to  see 
how  many  hundred  votes  he  would  be  beaten  by,  but  had 
no  thought  of  election.  It  is  two  weeks  today  since  the 
election,  and  we  have  only  just  heard  of  it.  I  never  saw 
William  so  nonplussed.  I  am  so  happy  I  can  hardly  con 
tain  myself,  for  now  William  can  leave  the  service  hon 
orably  and  come  home.  They  think  now  that  we  will  not 
go  farther  East,  since  Lee's  surrender. 

The  4th  Army  Corps,  we  now  hear,  was  sent  here  to 
go  through  to  Richmond  and  reinforce  the  troops  al 
ready  there.  The  deserters  are  daily  coming  in.  This 
morning  sixty  of  Vaughn's  command  came  here  and  gave 
themselves  up.  The  war  is  over,  but  poor  President  Lin 
coln  could  not  live  to  see  the  end.  His  assassination  is 
awful ! 


COLONEL  LYON'S  LETTERS. 

"April  17,  1865. — I  suppose  there  is  little  or  no 
doubt  of  my  election.  I  was  never  so  surprised  in  my 
life,  for  I  never  had  the  least  expectation  of  being 
elected.  I  shall  come  home  as  early  as  I  can  honorably 
and  properly  do  so,  certainly  by  September  and  probably 
before,  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements  and  prepara 
tions  for  my  new  duties.  You  must  not  feel  too  hard 
towards  those  of  my  best  friends  who  opposed  me.  They 
had  an  undoubted  right  to  do  so. 

"We  have  just  heard  the  shocking  tidings  of  Presi- 


212  REMINISCENCES 

dent  Lincoln's  assassination.    This  is  an  awful  thiug  tor 
the  country.    It  makes  my  heart  bleed." 


MRS.  LYON'S  DIARY. 

April  20,  1865. — We  have  had  orders  to  march  back 
to  Greenville.  It  has  rained  so  much  and  been  so  un 
pleasant  that  I  dread  to  return  the  way  we  came.  We 
were  in  hopes  to  go  back  by  way  of  Richmond.  We 
started  at  12  o'clock.  It  is  very  warm,  roads  almost  im 
passable.  Bade  Jonesboro  good-bye. 

April  21,  1865.— We  started  at  five  o'clock  this 
morning  and  marched  three  miles  beyond  Greenville.  It 
was  so  warm  that  many  of  the  boys  threw  away  their 
blankets,  and  some  threw  away  their  overcoats,  they 
were  so  burdensome.  They  say  if  the  war  is  over  they 
will  not  need  them  again.  We  came  to  a  beautiful 
spring  and  the  men  filled  their  canteens.  I  saw  one  man 
drop  out  of  the  ranks  and  go  and  lie  in  the  corner  of 
the  fence,  and  I  asked  the  orderly  to  tell  the  surgeon 
that  there  was  a  man  left.  He  came  back  to  see  him  and 
found  him  dead.  He  had  drunk  too  much  cold  water, 
and  being  so  very  heated  it  had  stopped  the  heart's 
action.  There  were  several  ill  from  the  same  cause. 

April  22,  1865.— We  started  at  five  o'clock  in  the 
morning  so  as  to  get  the  cool  of  the  day.  Had  a  hard 
march.  Got  to  Bull's  Gap  in  advance  of  the  other 
troops. 

"Bull's  Gap,  Sunday,  April  23,  1865.— We  have 
sent  all  the  things  to  the  cars.  Stayed  all  day  under  a 
borrowed  fly  to  a  tent.  Captain  King  invited  us  to  take 
tea  with  him.  He  lives  in  a  part  of  the  depot.  We  will 
take  the  cars  here  for  Knoxville, 

April  24,  1865. — Last  night  while  we  were  waiting 


OP  THE  CIVIL  WAR  213 

for  the  cars  there  came  up  as  hard  a  thunder  storm  as  I 
almost  ever  heard,  and  so  many  of  us  were  driven  into 
the  depot  that  the  men  went  into  empty  cars.  The  train 
did  not  come  until  after  midnight,  and  as  it  was  then 
raining  so  hard  and  was  so  muddy,  the  question  was 
raised  as  to  how  I  was  to  get  to  the  cars,  but  Jerry  said 
that  he  could  "tote"  me,  which  he  did.  It  was  nearly 
night  when  we  got  to  Knoxville.  We  were  delayed  by 
trains  ahead  of  us  being  off  the  track. 

April  25. — We  got  to  Chattanooga,  had  another 
view  of  those  beautiful  mountains,  went  over  this  bad 
road  at  a  tremendous  rate,  but  safely.  William  got  me 
to  playing  whist  before  we  got  to  the  Whiteside  bridge 
so  that  I  would  not  notice  it,  but  I  found  it  out.  I  had 
dreaded  it.  When  we  first  went  over  it  our  attention  was 
drawn  to  it.  Standing  in  the  door  of  the  car  we  could 
see  the  engine  and  a  letter  &  formed  by  the  train  be 
tween  us  and  the  engine.  I  have  never  been  over  such 
a  crooked  road,  and  it  made  me  feel  nervous. 

April  26. — We  stayed  on  the  track  all  night  within 
seven  miles  of  Stevenson.  There  was  a  train  off  the 
track  ahead  of  us.  There  have  been  so  many  wrecks  on 
this  road  that  you  can  not  go  a  mile  without  seeing 
where  there  has  been  one,  so  I  am  told.  The  guerillas 
fired  at  a  train  in  front  of  us  and  at  one  behind  us.  I 
think  we  were  fortunate  to  escape  as  we  did,  there  were 
so  many  dangers,  both  seen  and  unseen. 

April  27. — We  came  through  the  tunnel  near  Tul- 
lahoma,  It  is  2,226  feet  in  length  and  it  takes  five  min 
utes  to  go  through  it,  and  it  is  as  dark  as  a  dungeon. 

We  are  encamped  in  a  very  pleasant  spot  about 
seven  miles  from  Nashville,  in  a  grove  on  a  hill,  cool 
and  shady.  We  shall  go  into  Nashville  next  week  and 
see  our  acquaintances.  There  is  a  rumor  that  the 
Fourth  Corps  is  to  be  sent  to  Texas,  but  nothing  definite. 

When  we  got  off  the  cars,  a  sick  man  was  also  taken 


214  REMINISCENCES 

off  who  had  congestive  fever  the  doctor  said.  He  was 
lying  on  the  ground  and  I  went  to  him  and  asked  him  if 
I  could  make  him  a  cup  of  tea,  He  said  no,  but  that  he 
would  like  to  have  his  face  washed.  So  I  got  a  dish  and 
some  water  and  a  cloth  and  washed  his  face  and  hands. 
He  had  a  high  fever  and  I  wet  his  head.  He  was  very 
grateful.  I  then  made  a  cup  of  tea  and  some  toast,  but 
he  did  not  eat  much.  [Two  days  after  that  he  died  of 
small  pox.  I  was  a  little  alarmed  after  I  heard  of  that.] 


COLONEL  LYON'S  LETTERS. 

"May  9,  1865. — Yesterday  was  quite  a  gala  day 
here.  The  Fourth  Army  Corps,  mustering  20,000  mus 
kets,  was  reviewed  by  Major-General  Thomas.  The  day 
was  very  fine  and  everything  passed  off  nicely.  Our 
women  never  saw  anything  of  the  kind  before,  and  of 
course  were  delighted.  Adelia,  brought  a  side-saddle 
from  home  and  I  have  a  nice,  gentle  little  mare  which 
she  proposes  to  ride  about  the  country.  We  are  pleas 
antly  situated  in  a  beautiful  grove  on  Mill  creek,  about 
four  miles  south  of  town,  and  are  enjoying  unadulter 
ated  camp  life.  When  we  were  gone  a  few  days  ago  the 
boys  built  an  arbor  over  our  tent  and  made  us  a  rude 
bedstead.  We  eat  from  a  rough  table  set  under  a  tree, 
and  have  no  floor  in  our  tent. 

"We  are  all  watching  with  great  interest  the  final 
disposition  to  be  made  of  the  army,  with  strong  hopes 
that  we  shall  be  sent  home  before  many  weeks  elapse. 
Certainly  there  is  no  more  active  service  for  us  in  this 
war.  The  Government  has  failed  to  pay  the  troops  as 
it  should.  There  is  eight  months'  pay  due  this  corps. 
Adelia  will  stay  as  long  as  the  prospect  is  good  for  our 
being  soon  discharged." 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAK  215 

LETTER  FROM  MRS.   LYON. 

Tuesday,  May  9,  1865. — We  attended  the  review. 
It  was  the  most  gorgeous  sight  I  ever  saw.  The  bugler 
makes  more  music  in  the  calls  than  I  ever  heard  before. 
He  passed  in  review  alone  and  played  all  the  bugle  calls. 
We  had  an  ambulance  at  our  disposal,  and  we  went 
around  to  see  the  sights.  I  saw  much  more  of  Nashville 
than  I  did  when  we  were  living  there. 

I  must  tell  you  how  our  bedstead  is  made.  The 
posts  are  four  posts  driven  into  the  ground,  and  the  end 
and  side  pieces  are  nailed  onto  them.  Some  small  trees 
were  split  and  laid  on  them,  the  flat  side  up,  and  over 
that  is  a  straw  bed.  The  quilts  are  in  a  bad  plight.  Wil 
liam  has  gone  to  bed  so  often  with  his  spurs  on  that  they 
are  pretty  well  used  up.  I  frequently  got  my  arms 
through  the  holes,  but  I  have  had  them  washed  clean 
and  have  mended  them  the  best  I  could,  and  get  along 
with  them  the  best  I  can.  The  blue  spread  covers  it  all 
and  looks  nice.  We  can't  get  any  more  here.  I  forgot 
to  tell  you  about  the  headboard  of  our  bedstead.  There 
are  three  boards  four  inches  wide  driven  into  the  ground 
lengthwise.  This  keeps  the  pillows  in  place. 


MKS.  LYON'S  DIARY. 

May  11,  1865. — Cold  and  stormy.  We  got  so  cold 
that  we  tied  up  the  tent  and  went  to  bed  to  keep  warm. 
It  is  raining  so  hard  we  have  had  to  take  a  lunch  in  the 
tent.  We  could  not  build  a  fire  to  cook  anything,  nor 
set  the  table  out  of  doors.  It  cleared  off  towards  night, 
so  we  had  a  fire  built  before  the  tent  and  it  made  it  quite 
comfortable,  and  we  had  a  good  supper.  I  often  find 
that  our  goodies  in  the  trunk  come  handy. 


216  REMINISCENCES 

Camp  Harker,  May  20,  1865.— They  have  named 
the  camp  "Camp  Harker,'7  after  some  General  I  believe. 
There  is  still  no  change  in  our  condition.  We  are  to 
move  camp  soon.  William  and  I  have  been  to  see  the 
place,  about  half  a  mile  from  here,  and  we  shall  have 
more  room. 


LETTER  FROM  MRS.  LYON  TO  ISAAC  LYON. 

Camp  Harker,  May  24,  1865. — We  had  a  hard  thun 
der  storm  last  night.  A  heavy  storm  seems  very  near 
when  you  are  in  a  tent.  I  would  jump  at  the  peals,  they 
sounded  so  near. 

William  and  I  were  sitting  on  a  puncheon  on  the 
grass,  and  as  George  went  into  the  tent  he  called  our 
attention  to  a  swift  on  the  trunk  I  had  been  sitting  on  a 
few  minutes  before.  They  captured  it  and  I  have  it  in  a 
bottle  for  you. 

We  had  a  call  from  Father  Tracey  and  Mr.  O'Riley. 
I  like  Father  Tracey  very  much.  He  has  been  with  this 
army  corps  considerably. 


MRS.  LYON'S  DIARY. 

Camp  Harker,  May  26. — Camp  is  being  moved,  with 
the  exception  of  headquarters,  which  will  be  moved 
when  we  go  to  Nashville. 

Camp  Harker,  May  27. — This  morning  when  I  first 
wakened  I  looked  up;  and  on  the  upper  part  of  the  tent, 
right  over  the  bed,  were  ever  so  many  centipedes.  I 
spoke  to  William.  We  were  quite  alarmed  and  got  up 
and  out  of  that  tent  about  as  quickly  as  we  could.  They 
were  different  lengths,  showing  they  had  several  famil- 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAK  217 

ies.  We  did  not  get  any  of  them  on  us.  The  men  took 
the  tent  down  and  killed  all  they  could  find.  They  said 
there  were  numbers  of  them,  but  we  escaped  being  bitten. 

Camp  Harker,  May  28. — A  large  party  of  us  took  a 
trip  today  to  the  Hermitage,  General  Jackson's  home. 
We  had  two  ambulance  loads,  and  nearly  all  our  officers 
went  on  horseback,  as  a  body-guard.  We  went  through 
the  garden  to  the  tomb  where  General  Jackson  and  his 
wife  are  buried.  At  the  head  of  the  tomb  is  a  beautiful 
large  magnolia  tree  in  bloom,  which  filled  the  whole 
yard  with  perfume.  There  was  a  great  variety  of  flow 
ers  in  bloom  and  Lieut.  Knilans  bought  me  a  beautiful 
bouquet  of  roses.  Hickory  canes  cut  on  the  plantation 
were  also  for  sale,  and  I  bought  two  for  the  two  fathers, 

We  took  our  lunch,  expecting  to  picnic,  but  the  old 
servants  offered  us  the  use  of  the  dining  hall,  a  large, 
beautiful  room,  which  they  said  was  seldom  opened. 
There  was  a  very  nice  mahogany  extension  table,  made  in 
the  old  fashion,  and  they  brought  us  the  old  family  china, 
and  gave  us  all  the  buttermilk  we  could  drink.  (Butter 
milk  is  a  great  luxury  with  the  Southern  people.)  We 
saw  the  old  family  carriage,  made  entirely  from  the  old 
ship  Constitution ;  but  the  gray-headed  negroes  were  the 
greatest  novelty  about  the  plantation.  Old  Aunt  Betty 
said  she  cooked  for  General  Jackson  forty  years.  They 
have  numbers  of  visitors.  We  had  a  very  pleasant  day. 


LETTER  FROM  COLONEL  LYON. 

"Camp  Harker,  May  29,  1865.— I  expect  to  get  a 
leave  of  absence,  which  I  have  applied  for;  and  in  that 
case  we  shall  go  home  about  the  middle  of  June.  I  do 
not  like  to  resign,  because  I  think  we  shall  be  mustered 
out  during  the  summer  and  I  wish  very  much  to  stay  in 


218  REMINISCENCES 

the  service  to  the  end  of  the  war.  My  leave  will  be  for 
twenty  days  if  I  get  one.  The  surrender  of  Kirby  Smith 
practically  ends  the  war,  and  saves  us  probably  from 
being  sent  to  Texas." 


MRS.  LYON'S  DIARY. 

Camp  Harker,  June  1, 1865. — We  have  moved  camp. 
I  found  it  all  done  when  I  came  back  from  town.  We 
take  long  rides  every  day.  I  enjoy  it  very  much  now, 
the  mare  is  so  kind  and  gentle. 

Camp  Harker,  June  10. — We  had  quite  an  excite 
ment  last  night.  I  awoke  with  the  feeling  that  there 
was  some  one  in  the  tent,  and  I  raised  up  and  saw  a  man 
on  his  hands  and  knees  looking  up  at  me.  I  screamed, 
"William,  there  is  a  man  in  the  tent."  I  awoke  all  the 
inmates  of  all  the  tents  around  us  with  the  scream.  The 
man  was  looking  for  William's  trousers,  I  suppose,  and 
found  garments  he  did  not  expect  to  see.  He  got  out 
very  quickly.  William  jumped  up  and  tried  to  catch 
him.  He  felt  under  his  pillow  for  his  pistol  the  first 
thing,  but  I  had  objected  to  his  having  it  when  I  was 
there,  so  he  did  not  find  it.  He  shouted,  "Stop  that 
thief/'  and  immediately  there  were  a  number  of  men  out 
of  their  tents,  but  they  did  not  know  what  they  were 
called  out  for.  The  man  had  to  run  between  the  tents 
to  get  away,  and  he  went  like  the  wind  and  escaped. 
Yesterday  the  Paymaster  was  here  and  paid  off  some  of 
the  troops,  but  he  did  not  pay  the  13th.  The  thief  had 
been  through  all  the  tents  but  one  and  had  taken  all  he 
could  find,  but  he  did  not  get  anything  from  us. 

June  13. — I  am  starting  for  home.  General  Beatty 
kindly  takes  me  to  Nashville  in  his  ambulance.  Adju 
tant  Scott  goes  North  with  me. 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  219 

June  17. — Arrived  home  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing,  having  stayed  over  in  Chicago  a  couple  of  days.  At 
tended  the  Sanitary  Fair. 


LETTER  FROM  COLONEL  LYON. 

"Wed.  Eve.,  June  14,  1865. — Our  transportation 
starts  for  Johnsonville  tomorrow  morning,  and  General 
Wood  informed  me  this  evening  that  it  is  understood 
that  the  Second  Division  also  goes  tomorrow  and  our 
division  on  Friday.  We  probably  shall  not  get  off,  how 
ever,  before  Saturday.  If  not  delayed,  I  think  I  can  get 
home  by  Thursday  of  next  week,  but  a  delay  of  a  day  or 
two  at  Johnsonville  is  not  at  all  improbable.  So  do  not 
look  for  me  until  the  last  of  the  week.  I  am  very  busy 
getting  ready  to  move,  and  in  the  absence  of  the  Adjutant 
am  compelled  to  look  after  all  of  the  details  of  business 
in  person.  The  men  mustered  out  will  get  off  tomorrow 
evening. 

"I  suppose  you  are  steaming  through  Indiana  now. 
It  is  intolerably  lonesome  here  since  you  left,  and  we 
need  the  excitement  of  a  march  to  help  our  spirits/' 


June  20,  1865. — William  reached  home  on  leave  of 
absence  for  20  davs. 


COLONEL  LYON'S  LETTERS. 

"Cairo,  111.,  Sun.  a.  m.,  July  9,  1865.— We  did  not 
get  here  until  after  midnight,  having  been  detained  sev- 


220  REMINISCENCES 

era!  hours  by  a  collision  ahead  of  us,  fifty  miles  from 
here.  I  found  the  Major  and  Lieutenant  Fowle  in  Chi 
cago.  Saw  nothing  of  the  Adjutant.  We  leave  on  the 
'Clara  Dalson'  at  11  o'clock  this  morning  for  New  Or 
leans.  The  weather  is  somewhat  warm  here.  We  get 
Government  transportation  from  here,  which  is  worth 
f  10  to  each  of  us,  and  our  meals  and  staterooms  cost  us 
f  20  more." 

"On  Steamer  Clara  Dalson,  July  12,  1865.— We  are 
now  steaming  past  Milliken's  Bend,  28  miles  above 
Vicksburg,  where  we  expect  to  be  before  noon.  We  left 
Cairo  at  2  p.  m.  Sunday.  Arrived  at  Memphis,  240 
miles  below  Cairo,  at  5  p.  m.  Monday.  Were  near  Helena 
yesterday  morning.  Passed  the  mouths  of  White  and 
Arkansas  rivers  and  Napoleon  yesterday  afternoon,  and 
this  morning  find  ourselves  here.  We  are  600  miles  be 
low  Cairo  and  over  1,000  miles  from  Racine.  We  are 
yet  400  miles  from  New  Orleans. 

"We  are  having  a  delightful  trip.  We  have  a  good 
boat,  and  good  fare;  weather  comfortably  cool,  with 
considerable  rain.  We  expect  to  be  at  New  Orleans  by 
Friday.  We  hear  nothing  of  the  corps  moving  as  yet. 
We  have  green  corn  every  day,  and  found  plenty  of  ripe 
peaches  at  Memphis.  The  country  is  low  and  flat,  but 
large  plantations  are  becoming  more  frequent. 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  221 


ew  Orleans,  Fri.,  July  14,  1865.— We 
arrived  here  at  eight  o'clock  this 
morning,  sound  and  well.  I  found 
that  our  corps  have  moved  and  are 
moving  for  Indianola,  Texas.  Our 
division  went  several  days  ago.  Lieu 
tenant  Fowle  and  I  leave  tomorrow  on 
steamer  Zenobia. 

"This  is  a  beautiful  city  and  the 
cleanest  one  that  I  ever  saw.  There  is  some  talk  that 
our  division  goes  to  Austin,  which  is  said  to  be  a  healthy 
place.  I  hope  so.  I  go  on  board  of  the  steamer  soon  " 

"Green  Lake,  Texas,  Sunday,  July  23,  1865.— I 
wrote  you  from  New  Orleans  on  the  14th  inst.,  since 
which  time  I  have  had  no  opportunity  to  get  off  a  letter. 
I  left  New  Orleans  on  the  morning  of  the  15th  and  went 
down  to  Corps  Headquarters,  six  miles,  where  I  changed 
from  the  Zenobia  to  a  larger  and  better  steamship,  on 
which  we  left  that  evening,  reaching  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississippi  Sunday  morning. 

"We  found  a  heavy  gale  blowing  on  the  Gulf  from 
the  south,  so  we  lay  there  until  Monday  night — the  gale 
subsided — we  put  to  sea  and  reached  the  coast  near 
Indianola  Wednesday  evening.  We  had  a  very  rough 
passage,  but  I  was  not  seasick.  We  lay  at  anchor,  toss 
ing  in  a  rough  sea,  unable  to  cross  the  bar  into  Mata- 
gorda  bay  until  Friday  morning,  when  we  succeeded  in 
getting  over  and  ran  up  to  Indianola,  18  or  20  miles 
from  the  Gulf.  There  we  learned  that  the  regiment  was 
here.  We  took  a  lighter  (a  small  schooner)  and  went  up 
the  bay  12  miles  to  Lavaca.  Here  we  found  a  good  hotel 
and  a  very  nice  little  town,  and  remained  until  yester 
day  morning;  then  got  a  conveyance  and  came  to  camp, 
15  miles  west.  The  Adjutant  overtook. us  at  the  Balje, 


REMINISCENCES 


or  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  and  transferred  himself  to 
our  boat. 

"I  found  that  the  regiment  has  had  a  tough  time. 
There  was  no  fresh  water  at  Indianola  and  they  had  to 
march  directly  here,  20  or  25  miles,  which  they  did  in  a 
night,  the  men  suffering  badly  for  water.  I  found  Col 
onel  Kummel  very  unwell.  Mr.  Foote  was  very  seasick 
on  the  Gulf,  and  is  quite  feeble  yet. 

"My  poor  boys  seemed  overjoyed  to  see  me.  TLey 
gave  some  hearty  yells  when  I  came  into  camp,  and  I 
think  I  had  to  shake  hands  with  every  man  in  the  regi 
ment  during  the  afternoon.  They  were  getting  very 
restless,  but  I  think  they  are  better  reconciled  now  to 
their  lot.  Desertions  from  the  corps  are  frequent  and 
quite  numerous,  though  much  less  from  the  13th  than 
from  many  other  regiments.  The  men  feel  outraged  and 
wronged  because  they  are  sent  here  while  so  many 
thousands  who  have  rendered  less  service  are  being  sent 
home.  It  is  our  principle  business  to  encourage  and 
reconcile  them,  and  I  assure  you  I  was  needed  here  and 
badly,  too,  for  that  service. 

"You  would  like  to  know  what  sort  of  a  country  this 
is.  I  will  tell  you.  Everything  except  the  climate  is 
damnable.  Prom  this  to  the  coast  is  one  vast,  level 
plain,  perfectly  naked,  without  a  tree  or  shrub,  covered 
with  a  thin  growth  of  coarse  grass  which  affords  pastur 
age  to  thousands  of  cattle  and  horses  in  a  semi-wild 
state  that  roam  over  it  in  every  direction.  Snakes,  scor 
pions,  tarantulas,  centipedes,  and  almost  every  venomous 
and  loathsome  reptile,  abound  here,  and  the  streams  are 
infested  with  alligators.  The  boys  killed  one  between 
seven  and  eight  feet  long  in  the  lake  close  to  our  camp 
yesterday,  and  one  eighteen  feet  long  has  been  killed  by 
the  command  since  it  came  here.  Our  camp  is  on  a 
clean  piece  of  prairie  which  is  less  infested  with  these 
reptiles  than  are  some  other  locations,  though  it  has  oc- 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR 

curred  several  times  since  they  have  been  here  that  the 
boys  have  found  snakes  (I  think  venomous  ones)  in 
their  blankets. 

"This  lake  is  a  shallow,  fresh  water  one,  from  one 
to  two  miles  wide,  which  sometimes  nearly  dries  up.  The 
water  is  as  warm  as  dishwater,  but  otherwise  good. 

"I  am  boarding  with  our  new  doctor  (Woodruff), 
Chaplain  Foote  and  wife,  Colonel  Kummel,  Captain 
Fish  and  the  Adjutant.  We  get  but  little  to  eat,  except 
that  we  have  most  excellent  fresh  beef.  This,  with  cof 
fee  and  steamed  hardtack,  is  our  bill  of  fare — no  vege 
tables — no  nothing  that  makes  eating  a  pleasure.  The 
country  produces  nothing  in  the  way  of  vegetables  to 
speak  of. 

"When  the  balance  of  the  corps  gets  here  we  shall 
'move  on,'  like  poor  Joe  in  Bleak  House — probably  in 
a  week  or  two.  The  First  Division  goes  to  San  Antonio, 
the  Second  to  New  Braunfels,  and  the  Third  to  Austin, 
the  capital  of  the  State,  which  is  150  miles  from  here. 
What  in  the  name  of  common  sense  we  are  going  there 
for,  or  why  we  are  here  in  Texas  at  all,  is  more  than  I 
can  find  out  or  even  guess  at,  and  I  am  unable  to  find 
any  one  who  is  any  wiser  on  this  subject  than  I  am." 

"July  25,  1865. — The  weather  would  be  very  hot 
were  it  not  for  the  trade  winds,  which  come  up  about 
nine  or  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  blow  a  stiff  breeze 
from  the  south  all  day.  But  we  shall  lose  the  benefit 
of  this  when  we  get  into  the  interior  probably.  Every 
body  says  that  the  country  improves  as  we  advance  into 
it,  and  that  at  Austin  we  will  get  better  water  and  more 
to  eat.  If  we  do  I  will  apologize  for  slandering  Texas. 
Do  you  think  I  am  sorry  that  I  did  not  resign  at  Nash 
ville?  Not  a  bit  of  it.  My  presence  here  is  absolutely 
indispensible  to  the  welfare  of  the  regiment,  and  right 
here,  beyond  all  question,  is  my  post  of  duty  as  long  as 
I  can  reasonably  remain. 


224  REMINISCENCES 

"My  time  expires  September  25th,  only  two  months 
hence,  and  then  I  can  be  mustered  out,  get  my  three 
months'  extra  pay,  and  I  presume  enough  mileage  to 
pay  my  expenses  home — neither  of  which  would  I  get  if 
I  resign.  So  I  tell  the  boys  that  if  my  health  keeps  good 
I  will  stay  with  them  until  that  time.  Then  it  will  take 
me  about  twenty  days  to  get  home. 

"At  Lavaca  I  met  a  brother-in-law  of  Mr.  Sheldon, 
of  Burlington,  named  Chrysler.  Mrs.  Chrysler  looks 
just  like  her  brother.  They  had  not  heard  from  their 
friends  North  during  the  war,  and  of  course  were  much 
pleased  to  get  recent  news  from  them.  They  have  been 
here  many  years,  are  well  off,  and  are  very  loyal.  I  hear 
of  Judge  Irvin,  our  Judge  when  I  commenced  practice, 
living  some  thirty  miles  from  here  on  our  road  to  Aus 
tin.  I  hope  to  see  him. 

"It  cost  me  over  f  80  to  get  here,  the  best  I  could  do. 
I  had  Government  transportation  from  Cairo.  It  will 
cost  me  more  than  $100  to  get  home,  and  if  I  should  fail 
to  get  my  final  pay  in  New  Orleans,  which  is  quite  prob 
able,  I  shall  just  about  be  out  of  money  when  I  get  ready 
to  start  home,  and  there  will  be  none  in  the  regiment 
then. 

"General  Beatty  and  General  Wood  have  advised 
Dr.  Cady  to  resign.  He  is  in  the  hospital  at  Indianola. 
He  will  probably  take  the  advice.  Captain  Pratt  and 
Lieutenant  Loucks  have  resigned  and  gone  home." 

"Green  Lake,  Tex.,  July  26,  1865.— I  am  well  and 
in  good  spirits,  notwithstanding  we  have  nothing 
decent  to  eat  except  fresh  beef,  and  nothing  but  warm 
water  to  drink.  I  keep  cold  coffee  without  sugar  in 
my  canteen,  and  drink  that.  I  have  to  sleep  on  the 
ground,  for  the  reason  that  there  is  not  a  pole  nor  a 
board  within  ten  miles  with  which  to  build  a  bunk.  Only 
two  more  months,  and  then  I  will  leave  for  good.'7 

"Green  Lake,  Tex.,  July  28,  1865.— The  corps  gets 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  225 

here  very  slowly,  and  we  can  not  get  away  from  here  for 
some  days,  perhaps  not  in  two  or  three  weeks,  and  by 
that  time  the  order  sending  us  so  far  into  the  interior 
may  be  countermanded.  Indeed,  we  hear  a  rumor  that 
we  are  only  to  go  to  Victoria,  some  25  miles  inland  from 
this  point,  but  the  rumor  is  not  very  reliable.  We  are 
fitted  up  now  so  that  we  are  very  comfortable,  except 
that  we  can  not  get  enough  decent  food. 

"The  Major  reached  us  on  Monday  night  last.  He 
and  I  are  in  the  same  tent.  I  have  a  bunk  and  mosquito 
bar  over  it  and  sleep  very  comfortably.  Before  we  got 
fitted  up  I  lay  on  the  ground  outside  and  a  sudden 
shower  one  night  soaked  me  to  the  skin.  We  have  but 
few  flies  here.  The  boys  kill  lots  of  alligators  two  or 
three  miles  from  camp.  Time  hangs  heavily  on  my 
hands,  and  did  I  not  expect  to  make  one  of  the  dear 
home  circle  so  soon  I  should  be  unhappy." 

"Aug.  1,  1865. — Yesterday  we  received  a  mail  and 
in  it  two  letters  from  you  of  the  9th  and  13th  of  July, 
the  first  I  have  had  from  you  since  I  left  home.  It  makes 
me  feel  as  though  it  had  broken  up  the  feeling  of  isola 
tion  that  prevails  here.  The  country  seems  to  be  pretty 
healthy  and  the  men  seem  to  improve — I  think  perhaps 
because  we  all  live  short.  I  think  no  army  since  the 
war  began  has  been  so  miserably  supplied  as  is  this 
army.  The  coarsest  and  plainest  food  is  all  we  can  get, 
and  even  that  is  frequently  scant  and  of  poor  quality. 
There  is  one  advantage  in  this,  and  that  is  that  we  can 
not  spend  much  money. 

"General  Stanley  and  Corps  headquarters  arrived 
here  last  evening.  I  do  not  think  we  shall  go  to  Austin. 
The  understanding  now  is  that  one  division  goes  to  San 
Antonio  de  Bexar  and  the  other  two  remain  at  Victoria, 
20  miles  from  here.  Which  division  goes  up  the  country 
we  do  not  know.  There  will  probably  be  no  movement 
for  two  weeks  yet.  We  all,  officers  and  men,  feel 


226  REMINISCENCES 

wronged  and  outraged  that  we  are  kept  in  service.  The 
law  under  which  we  volunteered  declares  that  we  shall 
be  discharged  as  soon  as  the  war  is  over.  The  war  is 
over.  Throughout  the  whole  broad  land  there  is  not  an 
organized  force  of  rebels  in  arms.  The  people  of  the 
South  have  all  returned  to  their  allegiance  and  in  good 
faith  are  endeavoring  to  restore  civil  government. 
There  is  no  earthly  use  for  an  army  here,  and  yet  the 
Government  is  paying  150,000  men. 

"I  do  not  mean  by  this  that  there  is  so  large  a  force 
in  Texas.  Probably  there  are  not  75,000  soldiers  here, 
but  the  organizations  to  which  they  belong  contain  that 
number  of  men.  Only  a  little  over  half  of  the  13th  is 
here  and  none  of  the  absentees  return,  yet  all  have  to 
be  paid.  I  am  astonished  that  the  people  at  home  do  not 
insist  on  having  the  army  mustered  out  on  the  ground  of 
economy.  I  myself  was  opposed  to  doing  it  too  hastily ; 
but  the  time  has  now  come  when  the  regular  army  and 
the  colored  troops  are  ample  for  all  the  purposes  that 
an  army  is  required  for. 

"Of  course  it  makes  no  difference  to  me  whether 
this  corps  is  mustered  out  or  not,  for  I  can  get  out  of  the 
service  any  time.  I  have  already  written  to  you  that  I 
have  concluded  to  remain  until  September  25th,  when  I 
am  entitled  to  be  mustered  out.  Then  there  is  a  bare 
hope  that  the  regiment  will  be  mustered  out  by  that 
time." 

"Green  Lake,  Texas,  Aug.  10,  1865. — None  of  our 
officers  or  men  from  Wisconsin  have  returned  yet,  but 
we  expect  some  of  them  during  this  month.  The  mos 
quitoes  are  awful  here.  The  weather  has  been  rainy  for 
some  days  and  they  have  increased  in  numbers  fright 
fully.  The  sleeping  in  camp  is  done  in  the  day  time 
mainly.  The  men  have  no  bars  and  it  is  impossible  to 
sleep  without  them  at  night,  so  the  men  dance  all  night. 
They  have  an  old  fiddle,  and  half  a  dozen  fiddlers  take 


OP  THE  CIVIL  WAR  227 


turns  at  the  instrument,  and  a  hundred  men  at  a  time 
break  it  down  in  regular  stag  dance  style  on  the  prairie 
by  the  hour.  Last  night  they  wanted  to  know  if  the 
frolic  disturbed  me,  but  I  told  them  no,  to  wade  in  and 
enjoy  themselves — yet  they  kept  me  awake  for  hours. 
My  bar  affords  me  ample  protection  and  if  I  do  not  get 
sleep  at  night  I  take  it  in  the  day  time.  Looking  over 
the  camp  now,  11  o'clock  a.  m.,  you  can  not  see  twenty- 
five  men,  yet  there  are  350  at  least  in  it.  They  are  all 
asleep.  The  weather  is  hot,  the  thermometer  seldom  be 
low  80  degrees  day  or  night,  usually  in  the  day  time 
from  90  to  95  degrees;  but  during  the  day  we  get  a 
breeze  from  the  Gulf,  which  relieves  us  greatly. 

"I  need  not  tell  you  that  I  am  impatient  for  the  time 
to  come  when  I  shall  be  home  again  for  good.  I  think 
when  I  wralk  into  our  shanty,  hang  up  my  hat,  and  take 
you  and  our  little  ones  (one  at  a  time  of  course)  in  my 
arms,  I  shall  be  about  as  happy  a  fellow  as  you  can  find 
around  there.  I  find  it  necessary  to  use  some  restraint 
or  I  should  be  counting  the  days  that  intervene  before 
my  muster  out,  but  I  do  not  do  it,  at  least  aloud.  I  will 
say  to  you,  however,  privately,  that  it  is  just  45  days,  or 
one  and  one-half  months. 

"If  I  could  take  the  regiment  home  with  me  I  should 
be  just  about  perfectly  happy,  but  I  see  but  little  pros 
pect  of  being  permitted  to  do  that.  We  shall  leave  in  a 
few  days  for  San  Antonio  I  expect.  We  do  not  know 
when.  The  First  Division  has  already  gone  to  Victoria. 
San  Antonio  is  distant  from  here  120  or  130  miles.  It 
will  require  about  three  weeks  to  get  letters  there  from 
Wisconsin." 

"Green  Lake,  Texas,  Aug.  15,  1865.— I  have  but  lit 
tle  to  write.  Weather  very  hot,  mosquitoes  very  thick, 
and  I  continue  well.  We  have  rumors  that  the  4th  Corps 
is  to  be  mustered  out.  I  hope  the  order  will  come  be 
fore  my  time  expires.  I  find  that  if  I  am  mustered  out 


228  REMINISCENCES 

before  the  regiment  I  do  not  get  the  three  months'  extra 
pay.  This  is  very  unjust,  and  yet  it  is  in  perfect  keeping 
with  the  policy  pursued  by  the  Government  toward  us. 

"The  4th  Corps  has  been  dissolved  by  a  War  De 
partment  order.  Captain  Hart  has  resigned,  General 
Wood,  we  hear,  is  ordered  to  report  for  duty  to  General 
Reynolds,  who  commands  in  Arkansas.  This  looks  like 
a  breaking  up  of  the  command.  In  the  meantime  we 
keep  as  patient  as  we  can  under  the  circumstances.  We 
do  not  do  very  much  soldiering  now.  No  supplies  of 
clothing  are  sent  us — the  men  are  ragged — get  scant  and 
poor  rations — and  of  course  are  restless  and  dissatis 
fied." 

"Green  Lake,  Tex.,  Aug.  22,  1865.— Still  no  change 
in  our  condition  or  prospects.  We  keep  constantly  hear 
ing  that  we  are  to  start  up  the  country  in  a  few  days, 
yet  we  see  no  signs  of  going.  The  Adjutant  received 
letters  that  told  him  that  he  ought  to  be  in  Chicago  by 
the  5th  of  next  month  to  proceed  with  his  business  ar 
rangements,  so  he  mustered  out  at  once  and  left  last 
evening.  I  miss  him  very  much  indeed,  and  can  not 
supply  his  place.  Captain  Knilans  and  Lieutenant 
Knox( Company  I) left  here  two  days  ago  as  delegates  to 
the  Union  State  Convention  to  be  held  at  Madison  on 
September  6th.  Captain  Steele  has  leave  of  absence  and 
went  with  them. 

"Your  letter  to  Hastings  is  just  the  thing.  I  have 
shown  it  to  some  of  the  officers  and  they  think  it  can 
not  be  beaten,  although  I  should  probably  not  have  ad 
vised  you  to  write  it,  yet  I  am  glad  you  did  so. 

"The  two  doctors  in  the  hospital,  steward,  Captain 
Fish  and  myself  constitute  our  mess.  We  live  cheap, 
but  oh,  such  living!  Our  crackers  are  so  old  that  the 
worms  have  taken  up  their  abode  in  them;  but  we  rap 
them  on  the  table  and  nearly  all  fall  out.  They  are  also 
musty  and  mouldy,  and  are  not  very  appetizing.  I  do 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAK  229 

not  know  but  I  shall  kill  myself  by  eating  too  much  when 
I  get  home.  The  health  of  the  regiment  is  pretty  good 
now,  and  I  seriously  think  the  principal  reason  for  the 
improvement  is  that  the  doctors  are  unable  to  get  any 
medicine.  The  weather  is  very  warm  but  the  nights  are 
growing  perceptibly  cooler.  Mosquitoes  are  on  the 
decrease,  owing  to  dry  weather." 

"Green  Lake,  Texas,  Aug.  27,  1865. — I  have  not 
written  to  you  since  the  22d,  for  the  reason  that  we  are 
in  the  midst  of  a  great  storm  and  no  mails  have  gone  out 
or  arrived  for  several  days.  It  has  rained  terribly  the 
most  of  the  time  for  three  days  and  the  roads  are  almost 
impassable.  It  seems  to  be  holding  up  now,  and  I  hope 
the  mail  will  go  out  tomorrow.  No  vessels  can  get  in  or 
go  out  the  pass  below  Indianola.  General  Wood,  who 
has  been  ordered  to  Little  Rock,  has  been  at  Indianola 
for  several  days  unable  to  get  away.  The  storm  comes 
from  the  northeast  and  is  unusual  for  the  season.  The 
water  has  been  over  the  bottom  of  our  tent  several  times. 
The  men  are  getting  sick  a  good  deal.  Ague  and  remit 
tent  fevers  predominate,  but  yield  readily  to  treatment. 
One  trouble  is  that  we  can  get  scarcely  any  medicine  at 
all.  The  neglect  and  utter  indifference  of  the  authori 
ties  to  the  welfare  of  these  men  is  fearful.  No  supplies 
of  medicine  or  clothing,  very  poor  rations  and  insuffi 
cient  in  quality  at  that — is  our  lot.  This,  in  addition  to 
being  held  in  service  after  their  contract  with  the  Gov 
ernment  has  been  fully  executed,  is  pretty  rough  treat 
ment  for  the  men  who  have  breasted  the  tide  of  war  for 
four  long  years  and  whose  valor  and  fortitude  have 
saved  the  Government  from  total  ruin.  And  the  most 
aggravating  thing  about  our  situation  is  that  there  does 
not  exist  the  least  necessity  for  our  services.  For  all 
any  good  we  do  the  Government  we  might  as  well  be  in 
the  Fiji  Islands,  and  yet  we  see  no  indication  that  the 
corps  will  be  mustered  out  soon." 


230  REMINISCENCES 

"Green  Lake,  Texas,  Fri.,  Sept.  1,  1865.— Yesterday 
we  were  moving  camp  about  two  miles  to  better  ground, 
and  I  had  to  muster  the  regiment,  all  of  which  made  a 
lively  day's  work.  The  health  of  the  regiment  is  bad. 
Fully  one-third  of  the  men  are  unfit  for  duty.  The  sick 
ness  would  not  be  severe,  but  we  have  no  medicine,  and 
the  men  get  worse  and  worse  for  want  of  treatment.  One 
died  in  Company  F  today,  an  Indian ;  and  we  shall  lose 
several  more.  The  officers  on  the  sick  list  are  Captains 
Kingman  and  Pat  chin,  Lieutenants  Cheney  and  Beck- 
with  and  Colonel  Kuinrnel.  The  latter  has  applied  for  a 
leave  of  absence  and  if  he  gets  it  will  start  for  home 
soon.  Captain  Kingman  will  be  mustered  out  as  soon  as 
he  is  able  to  travel.  Captain  Parker  has  also  sent  in  his 
resignation. 

"We  have  a  clean,  pleasant  camp  on  the  bank  of  the 
lake,  on  the  bare  prairie,  not  a  tree  about  us.  The 
weather  is  hot,  but  we  get  a  breeze  every  afternoon 
which  makes  us  comfortable.  Mosquitoes  are  reason 
ably  plentiful  and  very  large  and  energetic.  I 
find  my  bar  a  perfect  protection.  We  get  no  light  on 
our  future  destiny,  but  rather  expect  to  go  up  the  coun 
try,  at  least  as  far  as  Victoria.  That  place  is  22  miles 
from  here.  I  have  pretty  much  given  up  the  hope  of 
being  able  to  take  the  regiment  home  with  me,  which  I 
assure  you  is  a  sore  disappointment  to  me." 

"Green  Lake,  Texas.,  Sept.  5,  1865.— The  days  drag 
along  slowly  enough,  but  I  keep  myself  in  as  patient  a 
frame  of  mind  as  possible.  Coarse  food,  poorly  cooked, 
and  very  poor  water,  is  enough  to  use  up  almost  any 
body  ;  so  the  sick  list  is  very  large.  Fully  one-third  are 
reported  sick — none  seem  to  be  dangerously  so.  In  other 
respects  our  condition  is  improving.  We  get  better 
rations  and  have  received  clothing. 

"We  are  terribly  troubled  with  mosquitoes.     They 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  231 

come  in  myriads  and  early  in  the  evening  drive  us  under 
our  mosquito-bars. 

"The  weather  is  generally  very  hot.  Altogether  our 
situation  is  not  pleasant  here  and  I  am  anxious  for  the 
time  to  come  when  I  can  leave.  I  ride  nearly  every  after 
noon  to  a  farm  house  between  two  and  three  miles  from 
here  for  a  drink  of  water  out  of  a  cistern.  It  is  a  great 
luxury.  The  country  is  infested  with  robbers  between 
here  and  Victoria. 

"I  have  sent  my  last  $10  to  New  Orleans  for  quinine. 
It  is  the  only  thing  to  break  up  the  fevers,  and  it  is  so 
long  since  the  regiment  was  paid  that  there  is  no  money 
in  the  regiment,  and  while  mine  lasted  it  was  common 
property,  and  a  man  would  be  a  heathen  to  not  send  for 
the  medicine  if  he  had  any  money.  I  really  needed  it 
myself  for  comforts,  but  it  may  save  life. 

"I  sit  here  in  this  pestilential  country,  surrounded 
with  more  discomforts  and  in  more  real  danger  than  I 
have  been  in  for  a  long  time,  and  wait  as  patently  as  I 
can.  I  should  have  been  glad  to  have  crossed  the  Gulf 
before  the  equinoctial  storms,  but  that  seems  out  of  the 
question  now.  No  signs  of  being  mustered  out,  or  any 
movement,  at  present.  I  command  the  brigade  and 
Beatty  the  division." 

"Green  Lake,  Texas,  Sept.  8,  1865. — I  have  only  a 
moment  in  which  to  write.  The  Adjutant  had  to  come 
back  to  get  his  papers  corrected — he  was  very  sick  on  the 
way  back,  but  is  better.  He  arrived  here  yesterday 
morning.  Captain  Knilans  got  paid  in  New  Orleans  and 
sent  me  $50  to  enable  me  to  get  out  of  this.  I  sent  im 
mediately  to  Victoria  to  get  an  order  from  General 
Stanley  to  muster  out  now.  I  expect  it  tonight.  If  I  get 
it  shall  start  in  two  or  three  days,  and  hope  to  be  home 
by  October  1st,  perhaps  a  little  before.  If  I  do  not  get  it 
I  must  stay  my  time  out.  If  you  do  not  get  a  letter  for  a 
week  after  you  get  this  you  may  infer  that  I  am  en  route 


232  REMINISCENCES 

home.  The  Adjutant  leaves  this  morning  for  New  Or 
leans,  where  he  will  wait  for  me.  Captain  Kingmari 
goes  with  me." 


Soon  after  September  8,  1865,  the  date  of  the 
last  of  the  above  letters,  the  regiment  received  orders  to 
march  to  Victoria,  and  at  once  moved  to  that  place.  As 
the  term  of  the  judicial  office  to  which  my  husband  had 
been  elected  was  to  commence  so  soon  after  that  time,  he 
felt  that  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  return  to  Wisconsin 
as  soon  as  possible  to  make  preparations  for  his  new 
duties.  He  therefore  forwarded  to  the  proper  officer  his 
resignation  as  Colonel,  which  was  promptly  accepted. 
He  then  returned  to  Wisconsin,  reaching  Madison  about 
the  first  of  October.  Owing  to  the  resignation  of  his 
predecessor  before  the  end  of  his  term  of  office,  his 
judicial  duties  commenced  on  the  first  day  of  December, 
1865,  and  from  that  time  forward  were  constant  and 
exacting. 

Later  an  order  was  received  that  the  regiment  re 
turn  to  Wisconsin,  to  be  mustered  out  of  service.  It 
reached  Madison  the  latter  part  of  December,  when  it 
was  mustered  out  and  the  men  joyfully  returned  to  their 
homes  and  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  civil  life. 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAK 


233 


Address  of  Colonel  Lyon  at  Madison,  Wisconsin,  on  the 

Occasion  of  the  Presentation  to  the  State  of  the 

Battle-Flags  of  the  Wisconsin  Regiments. 

(July  4,  1866.) 

overnor  Fair  child :  It  now  becomes  my 
pleasing  duty,  in  behalf  of  more  than 
ninety  thousand  soldiers  who  went 
forth  from  Wisconsin  during  the  late 
war  to  aid  in  the  preservation  of  the 
Union,  formally  to  surrender  to  the 
State,  through  you,  its  honored  Chief 
Magistrate,  these  standards  which 
from  time  to  time  it  committed  to 
our  care. 

"It  is  right  and  proper  that  this  day,  dear  above  all 
other  days  to  the  hearts  of  freemen,  should  be  selected 
for  this  interesting  ceremony.  It  is  meet  that  these  ban 
ners  should  be  returned  to  the  keeping  of  the  State 
amid  the  roar  of  artillery,  the  ringing  of  bells,  the  in 
spiring  strains  of  martial  music,  and  in  the  presence  of 
these  congregated  thousands  of  people,  so  many  of  whom 
have  marched  beneath  them  through  all  these  weary, 
anxious  years  of  war,  and  through  so  many  scenes  of 
peril  and  suffering  and  death.  It  is  well  on  such  a  day 
and  on  such  an  occasion  that  you  receive  these  banners 
from  the  hands  that  have  borne  them  so  proudly  and  so 
gallantly,  and  with  fitting  ceremonies  deposit  them  with 
the  archives  of  the  State. 

"They  whom  I  represent  today  neither  expect  nor 
desire  that  I  should  enlarge  upon  the  subject  of  their 
services  or  speak  the  language  of  adulation.  Yet  I  will 
not  attempt  to  disguise  or  suppress  the  emotions  of 
glad  exultation  with  which  1  regard  these  mute  yet  elo- 


234  REMINISCENCES 

quent  witnesses  of  the  heroism,  the  fortitude,  the  fidelity 
to  duty  of  Wisconsin  soldiers. 

"When  treason  began  its  wicked  work,  and  when 
the  institutions  of  freedom  and  the  cause  of  human  lib 
erty  were  in  deadly  peril,  thousands  of  our  sons  rallied 
around  these  banners;  and  at  every  call  of  our  revered 
President  and  Command  er-in-Chief,  thousands  and  tens 
of  thousands  more  rushed  to  the  rescue;  and  they  bore 
these  banners  to  every  field  of  danger  and  duty.  They 
carried  them  in  every  memorable  campaign  and  through 
most  of  the  fiercest  battles  of  our  terrible  struggle  for 
national  life.  From  the  Potomac  to  the  distant  western 
frontier,  from  the  Ohio  to  the  Rio  Grande,  wherever 
there  were  foes  to  face  or  duty  to  perform,  these  banners 
were  borne. 

"Borne  of  them  waved  proudly  over  scores  of  the 
bloodiest  battlefields  of  the  war,  East  and  West.  They 
were  at  Shiloh,  luka  and  Corinth ;  at  Perry ville  and 
Stone  River  and  Chickainauga ;  at  Mission  Ridge  and 
Franklin  and  Nashville;  at  Manassas  and  Fredericks- 
burg  and  Cedar  Mountain ;  at  Chancellorsville  and  An- 
tietam  and  Gettysburg — glorious  Gettysburg!  where 
you,  sir,  received  the  stern  baptism  of  fire  and  of  blood ! 
And  many  of  them  were  conspicuous  in  all  the  battles 
Avhich  marked  the  triumphant  advance  of  our  armies 
upon  Vicksburg  and  Atlanta  and  Richmond  and  many 
other  strongholds  of  the  rebellion. 

"But  I  must  not  dwell  longer  upon  these  inspiring 
themes.  My  comrades  do  not  require  that  I  should  do 
so,  but  they  do  require  that  I  should  improve  this  most 
auspicious  occasion  in  their  name  to  thank  the  people 
of  Wisconsin  for  their  constant  sympathy  and  their  un 
tiring  devotion  to  the  best  interests  of  the  soldiers  in  the 
field. 

"Those  who  were  not  in  actual  service  can  never 
fully  understand  the  \alue  of  that  sympathy  and  that 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  235 

devotion.  It  was  a  tower  of  strength  to  the  soldier  to 
know  that  at  his  distant  home  every  patriotic  heart  felt 
for  him  the  deepest  solicitude,  and  that  in  almost  every 
town,  village  and  hamlet  throughout  his  State  organized 
efforts,  earnest  and  presevering,  were  being  made  to  pro 
mote  his  welfare. 

"These  considerations  nerved  his  heart  and 
strengthened  his  arm  in  the  hour  of  peril.  They  gave 
him  fortitude  when  surrounded  by  circumstances  of  dis 
couragement,  and  faith  in  the  ultimate  triumph  of  the 
cause  so  dear  to  his  heart.  Thus  was  his  patriotism  in 
tensified  and  thus  did  he  become  invincible. 

"It  was  the  soldier's  duty  to  toil  and  struggle  and 
fight,  and,  if  so  ordered  in  the  good  providence  of  God, 
to  suffer  and  die  for  our  cause;  but  toil  was  lightened 
and  suffering  and  death  were  easier  to  be  borne  when  he 
knew  that  from  thousands  of  devoted  hearts  constant 
aspirations  were  ascending  to  Heaven  for  his  success 
and  safety,  and  that  if  he  fell  his  memory  would  be 
kindly  cherished  by  the  good  and  true  who  cared  for 
him. 

"The  evidences  of  the  deep  interest  of  our  people  in 
the  Avelfare  of  our  soldiers  are  too  numerous  to  admit  of 
more  than  a  passing  notice.  It  was  manifested  in  the 
princely  contributions  to  the  funds  of  the  Sanitary  and 
Christian  Commissions,  in  the  active  and  efficient  work 
of  the  numerous  soldiers'  aid  societies,  in  relieving  the 
wants  of  the  destitute  families  of  soldiers,  and  in  thou 
sands  of  instances  of  individual  effort  and  individual 
sacrifice — all  for  the  same  beneficent  purpose  and  all 
tending  to  the  same  great  end.  And  the  State,  through 
its  Legislature,  true  to  the  exalted  patriotism  of  the 
people,  provided  as  far  as  practicable  by  legal  enact 
ments  for  the  protection  and  welfare  of  our  soldiers  and 
their  families.  It  sent  out  its  accredited  agents  to  watch 
over  and  care  for  us  and  to  protect  our  rights ;  it  gave  us 


236  REMINISCENCES' 

the  elective  franchise;  and  it  appropriated  immense 
sums  in  the  aggregate  for  the  benefit  of  our  families  at 
home.  And  from  people  and  State,  all  through  the  long 
and  bloody  and  sometimes  apparently  doubtful  contest 
—came  to  us  words  of  cheer  and  hopefulness  and  ap 
proval  that  filled  our  hearts  with  joy  unspeakable. 

"It  was  this  spirit  that  sent  the  lamented  Governor 
Harvey  to  the  bloody  field  of  Shiloh  to  minister  to  the 
wants  of  our  sick  and  wounded  and  dying  men;  and 
when  the  turbid  waters  of  the  Tennessee  closed  over  him 
forever,  the  same  spirit  prompted  her  who  was  nearest 
and  dearest  to  him  to  dedicate  her  life  to  the  same  holy 
work. 

"And  it  is  the  same  spirit,  still  fresh  and  vigorous  in 
our  State,  that  has  organized  and  that  fosters  and  sus 
tains  those  beneficent  institutions  made  necessary  by  the 
casualties  of  the  war — the  home  for  disabled  soldiers  and 
for  soldiers'  orphans. 

"I  have  alluded  to  some  of  the  good  effects  of  all 
this  care  and  solicitude  for  the  welfare  of  our  soldiers ; 
but  it  developed  another  and  more  important  result,  to 
which  I  will  briefly  refer. 

"When  the  war  commenced  very  many  people  were 
deeply  apprehensive  that  our  young  men  who  entered 
the  service  might  return  to  us  more  or  less  demoralized. 
They  feared  that  the  associations  of  the  camp,  the  ir 
regularities  of  military  life,  the  absence  of  the  salutary 
restraints  of  home,  and  the  necessary  familiarity  with 
scenes  of  violence  and  blood,  might  render  them  less  in 
dustrious,  less  moral,  less  peaceable,  and  therefore  less 
useful  citizens  than  they  otherwise  would  have  been. 

"But  the  war  closed  and  these  men  returned  to  our 
midst  and  quietly  took  their  places  in  civil  life,  showing 
no  signs  whatever  of  the  existence  of  that  demoraliza 
tion  which  so  many  feared.  The  only  change  we  find  in 
them  is  that  they  are  more  thoughtful,  more  self-reliant 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  237 

a  lid  more  earnest  men,  and  therefore  better  and  more 
valuable  citizens  than  they  were  before. 

"Why  is  this?  I  have  already  hinted  at  the  reason. 
It  is  because  the  people  at  home  manifested  so  deep  an 
interest  in  them ;  because  they  gave  so  many  substantial 
evidences  of  that  interest,  and  maintained  intercourse 
with  them  so  constantly  that  our  soldiers  felt  themselves 
ever  in  the  presence  of  their  families  and  friends.  The 
restraints  of  social  life  and  the  sweet  and  tender  influ 
ences  of  home  were  ever  over  and  around  them,  guarding 
them  from  evil  and  preserving  their  integrity  and  char 
acter. 

"Hence  the  wonderful  phenomena  of  a  vast  army, 
which  had  been  in  the  field  for  years,  disbanded  and 
scattered  in  every  community  throughout  the  whole 
land,  without  discord,  without  demoralization,  and  with 
out  any  disturbance  of  the  quiet,  peaceful  currents  of 
civil  life. 

"This  is  a  sublime  spectacle ;  and  I  repeat  with  emo 
tions  of  profound  gratitude  that  the  most  efficient,  the 
most  powerful  agency  in  producing  a  result  of  such  price 
less  value,  was  that  spirit  of  deep,  heartfelt  sympathy 
for  our  soldiers,  and  that  active  interest  in  their  welfare, 
so  universally  manifested  by  our  people  at  home  during 
the  whole  period  of  the  war. 

"And  now,  sir,  having  acknowledged  our  obliga 
tions  to  our  people,  I  return  for  a  few  moments  to  the 
theme  which  the  occasion  presses  more  directly  upon 
our  attention.  These  banners  are  the  glorious  symbols  of 
our  national  unity,  the  material  representations  of  the 
institutions  of  freedom  and  of  the  patriotism  of  the  peo 
ple.  Like  the  cross  to  the  believer — to  the  soldier  the 
flag  under  which  he  fights  is  the  cherished  emblem  of 
his  faith  and  his  hope  and  the  object  of  his  devoted  love. 
To  his  mind,  the  honor  of  the  flag  is  synonymous  with 
individual  honor  and  with  the  honor  and  glory  of  the 


238  REMINISCENCES 

State  and  the  Nation,  and  includes  them  all.  Every 
patriotic  heart  cherished  the  same  sentiment. 

"Hence  do  these  banners  become  to  us  the  symbols 
and  emblems  and  mementoes  of  all  the  labors  and  sacri 
fices  and  prayers  of  all  the  people  for  the  success  of  our 
arms.  In  this  view  they  have  a  history ;  a  history  event 
ful,  thrilling  and  glorious  in  some  of  its  details,  and  yet 
inexpressibly  mournful  and  touching  and  sad  in  others. 
A  history  which  may  never  be  traced  on  parchment  or 
fully  uttered  by  human  lips,  yet  which  is  written  in  in 
delible  characters  upon  the  hearts  and  memories  of  thou 
sands  throughout  the  land. 

"The  mother  who  sent  forth  her  son  with  prayers 
and  blessings  and  bitter  tears  from  her  peaceful  home, 
to  fight  and  die  for  his  country,  and  who  sits  today  by 
her  desolate  hearth-stone  and  weeps  because  he  returns 
no  more,  and  yet  who  thanks  God  that  she  had  an  offer 
ing  so  valuable  to  lay  upon  the  altar  of  her  bleeding 
country ;  the  wife  whose  husband  sleeps  his  last,  dream 
less  sleep  upon  some  distant  Southern  battlefield,  and 
from  whose  life  the  light  and  joy  and  beauty  have  gone 
out  forever;  these,  and  every  sorrowing,  desolate  heart 
made  such  by  the  war,  are  amongst  the  custodians  of 
this  wonderful  history.  So,  also,  is  every  soldier  who 
has  marched  and  fought  beneath  these  banners;  so,  also, 
is  each  patriot  who  has  labored  in  civil  life  for  the  suc 
cess  of  our  arms,  or  who  has  breathed  fervent  prayers  to 
heaven  for  the  triumph  of  the  right. 

"But  I  must  hasten  to  a  conclusion.  When  these 
banners  were  entrusted  to  our  care  we  promised  with 
hands  uplifted  to  heaven  that  we  would  defend  the  honor 
of  the  State  and  the  Nation,  of  which  these  were  the 
symbols,  under  all  circumstances  and  to  the  last  ex 
tremity  ;  and  in  behalf  of  those  to  whom  they  were  thus 
entrusted  I  solemnly  declare  that  this  promise  has  been 
faithfully  performed. 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  239 

"So  we  return  these  banners  to  the  State,  from 
whence  we  received  them.  They  are  bruised  and  torn 
and  tattered ;  but,  thanks  be  to  God,  there  is  no  stain  of 
dishonor  upon  one  of  them ! 

"Receive  them,  sir,  from  our  hands,  and  deposit 
them  with  the  archives  of  the  State.  Let  us  always  ful 
fill  our  sacred  obligations  to  those  who  are  maimed  or 
who  fell  in  their  defense,  and  to  their  helpless  families ; 
and  as  we  gaze  with  affectionate  veneration  upon  these 
sacred  symbols  of  our  national  faith,  let  us  never  forget 
the  lessons  of  patriotism  and  of  fidelity  to  duty  which 
their  history  inculcates." 


240  REMINISCENCES 

Reunion  of  Company  K,  Eighth  Wisconsin  Volunteer 
Infantry,  Geneva,  Wisconsin,  October  8th. 

omrades  of  Company  K,  Ladies  and 
Gentlemen :  There  can  be  few  more 
joyous  occasions  on  earth  than  the 
meeting  of  those  who  in  pursuit  of 
some  great  and  glorious  object  have 
endured  together  for  years  peril, 
privation  and  suffering,  and  who  have 
been  long  separated  by  the  chances 
and  vicissitudes  of  life. 
"Hence  it  is  that  to  you,  comrades,  who  so  long  and 
so  faithfully  served  together  as  soldiers  in  the  armies  of 
the  Union  during  the  late  rebellion,  the  occasion  of  this 
reunion  is  one  of  most  intense  interest  and  delightful 
enjoyment. 

"The  friendships  formed  between  those  who  volun 
tarily  banded  together  and  went  forth  to  fight,  and  if 
need  be  to  die  for  their  country,  who  marched  and  toiled 
side  by  side,  and  who  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  in  the 
dark  and  terrible  hours  of  battle  and  carnage,  are 
among  the  deepest  and  most  lasting  of  earthly  friend 
ships. 

"As  you  clasp  the  hand  and  gaze  upon  the  loved 
features  of  each  brave  comrade,  memories  of  some  thrill 
ing  scene  through  which  you  have  passed  together,  with 
some  memorable  event  which  stirred  the  hearts  of  both 
either  with  gladness  01  sorrow,  come  back  to  you  with 
the  vividness  of  reality. 

"It  may  be  that  those  memories  are  of  the  time  when 
in  obedience  to  a  sacred  duty  you  sternly  tore  yourselves 
away  from  the  fond  embraces  of  sister,  or  mother,  or 
child,  or  wrife,  who  clung  to  you  with  such  unutterable 
love,  and  leaving  behind  you  desolate  homes  and  break 
ing  hearts,  your  own  heart  bleeding  at  every  pore,  you 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  241 

for  the  first  time  went  forth  to  the  fields  of  war.  It  may 
be  that  they  are  of  the  time  when  the  march  was  weary 
and  long,  beneath  a  scorching  southern  sun,  or  through 
storm  and  darkness,  and  when  the  luxury  of  repose, 
even  for  a  brief  period  and  upon  the  hard  earth,  was 
necessarily  denied  you.  Perchance  they  are  of  the  time 
that  you  ministered,  oh !  so  tenderly,  to  your  comrade 
when  disease  was  upon  him  and  he  lay  prostrate  and 
helpless,  racked  with  pain  or  scorched  with  fever,  and 
no  gentle  hand  or  loving  voice  of  sister,  mother  or  wife 
could  be  felt  or  heard  to  alleviate  his  sufferings  or  soothe 
his  fevered  brain.  Perchance  these  memories  are  of  the 
hour  when  the  fierce  conflict  raged,  when  the  air  was 
filled  with  the  iron  messengers  of  destruction  tearing 
through  your  ranks,  and  when  the  brave,  the  good,  and 
the  true  died  that  a  nation  might  live ;  or  it  may  be  that 
they  are  of  the  time  when  the  rebellion  had  been  crushed 
and  the  nation  was  saved,  and  amid  the  plaudits  of  a 
grateful  people  (to  use  from  memory  the  language  of 
another),  "the  mustering-out  order  came  and  you  turned 
your  faces  northward,  and  marched,  with  joy  unspeak 
able,  to  the  music  of  "Home,  Sweet  Home !"  ' 

"These  and  kindred  memories  are  awakened  by  this 
glad  reunion  of  comrades  who  have  been  long  separated, 
and  they  serve  greatly  to  enhance  the  interest  of  the  oc 
casion. 

"But  as  we  mingle  here  in  affectionate  intercourse, 
and  live  over  in  memory  the  stirring  scenes  through 
which  we  have  passed,  we  can  not  forget  that  there  are 
many  vacant  places  in  our  ranks  today !  They  who  once 
filled  them  can  answer  no  more  at  our  roll  calls !  We 
shall  meet  them  no  more  on  earth,  for  'The  silver  cord  is 
loosed  and  the  golden  bowl  is  broken !'  They  fell  before 
'the  pestilence  which  walketh  in  darkness  and  the  de 
struction  which  wasteth  at  noondav.'  Their  lives  ebbed 


242  REMINISCENCES 

out  on  the  battlefield,  or  wasted  away  in  camp  and  hos 
pital,  from  wounds  or  by  the  ravages  of  disease. 

"  They  sleep  their  last  sleep,  they  have  fought  their  last 

battle, 
No  sound  shall  awake  them  to  glory  again.' 

"With  drums  muffled  and  arms  reversed,  with  slow 
and  measured  steps,  with  saddened  hearts  and  tearful 
eyes,  we  followed  their  lifeless  remains  to  their  last  rest 
ing  places  and  tenderly  laid  them  there  to  await  the 
resurrection  morning. 

"  'Our  bayonets  earthward  were  turning, 

And  the  drums'  muffled  notes  beat  around, 

But  they  heard  not  the  voice  of  our  mourning, 
Nor  awoke  to  the  bugle's  sound.' 

"Brave,  heroic  men!  Although  life  was  sweet  to 
you,  and  your  hearts  were  filled  with  bright  anticipa 
tions  of  the  future,  yet  with  a  sublime  patriotism  you 
freely  gave  your  lives  to  your  country.  The  tree  of  lib 
erty  has  been  fertilized  and  made  vigorous  with  your 
blood !  Your  memories  shall  be  cherished,  revered  and 
blessed  for  evermore! 

"Surely,  while  life  and  sensibility  remain  to  us  we 
shall  not  fail  to  render  heartfelt  tributes  of  affection  to 
the  memory  of  these,  our  fallen  comrades. 

"Nor  would  we  forget  those  of  our  number  who 
survived  the  perils  of  the  war  but  have  since  passed 
away.  Within  a  few  days  one  of  these,  a  good  and  faith 
ful  soldier  and  a  true  friend,  was  suddenly  called  from 
our  midst.  As  the  years  roll  on,  one  after  another  of  our 
number  will  also  receive  the  final  discharge.  But  the 
remnant  of  our  company  will  meet  year  after  year,  as  we 
meet  today,  and  will  not  forget  their  dead.  The  ranks 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  243 

will  be  thinned,  and  the  lapse  of  years  will  silver  the 
hair  and  palsy  with  age  the  bodies  of  the  survivors ;  yet 
shall  there  be  in  the  hearts  of  each  a  tender  cord  that 
shall  sweetly  vibrate  with  deep  and  pure  affection  for 
the  loved  and'  the  earthly  lost  of  our  little  band ! 

"Let  us  now  turn  from  the  dead  to  the  living.  Few 
more  sublime  scenes  were  over  witnessed  upon  earth 
than  that  of  the  mighty  uprising  of  the  loyal  American 
people  in  1861,  to  preserve  our  Government  and  with  it 
the  institution  of  freedom.  With  slight  exceptions  this 
nation  had  enjoyed  profound  peace  for  almost  fifty 
years.  Industry  and  enterprise  were  reaping  rich  re 
wards.  Commerce,  science  and  art  were  rapidly  extend 
ing  their  benign  influences.  Education  was  becoming 
more  and  more  general.  Every  element  of  a  lofty  civi 
lization  was  in  active  operation.  Outside  of  the  accursed 
influence  of  slavery,  individual  freedom,  social,  political 
and  religous,  was  respected  and  secured.  The  rule  of  the 
Government  was  so  mild  and  so  parental,  interfering  so 
slightly  with  us,  that  practically  we  scarcely  realized 
that  we  had  a  national  Government ;  and  we  had  come  to 
believe  that  institutions  fraught  with  so  many  blessings 
and  under  which  we  had  grown  to  be  a  great,  prosper 
ous  and  happy  nation  were  in  no  danger  of  being  as 
sailed,  much  less  destroyed.  But  we  were  most  griev 
ously  mistaken. 

"Suddenly,  and  as  unexpectedly  as  a  peal  of  thun 
der  from  an  unclouded  sky,  there  burst  upon  the  country 
the  startling  intelligence  that  a  gigantic  rebellion,  hav 
ing  for  its  object  the  overthrow  of  our  Government,  had 
been  inaugurated,  and  that  armed  traitors  were  seizing 
our  forts,  arsenals  and  munitions  of  war,  which  other 
perjured  traitors  had  wilfully  left  undefended  or  placed 
within  their  reach.  At  first  the  loyal  American  people 
were  stunned,  almost  overwhelmed  with  astonishment. 
Immediately  came  the  call  of  President  Lincoln  for  75,- 


244  REMINISCENCES 

000  volunteers  for  three  months.  Thousands  in  excess 
of  that  number,  among  them  many  of  you,  tendered  their 
services  to  the  Government  and  were  not  accepted.  We 
all  earnestly  hoped  and  believed  that  the  storm  would 
soon  abate.  Soon  after  the  first  call,  another  was  made 
for  300,000  volunteers  to  serve  for  three  years,  or  during 
the  war.  In  response  to  that  call,  and  after  the  disaster 
at  Bull  Run  had  made  is  quite  apparent  that  a  long  and 
bloody  contest  was  before  us,  the  most  of  you  volun 
teered  as  soldiers  in  the  army  of  the  Union,  and  from 
thenceforth  for  four  long,  weary  years,  and  until  the 
rebellion  was  utterly  crushed  out  and  the  dear  old  flag 
waved  triumphantly  over  every  State,  you  bore  an  hon 
orable  part  in  the  great  contest  for  the  preservation  and 
perpetuity  of  the  Union. 

"It  is  not  my  purpose  today  to  speak  in  detail  of 
your  services,  or  to  recount  your  exploits.  These  are 
written  in  imperishable  characters  upon  the  pages  of 
your  country's  history.  Suffice  it  now  to  say  that  a  lofty 
patriotism,  a  burning  love  of  country,  was  the  moving 
power  that  sent  you  to  the  tented  field  and  that  renewed 
your  hearts  and  strengthened  your  arms  to  meet  every 
demand  upon  you,  giving  you  patience  and  fortitude  in 
times  of  privation  and  suffering,  and  matchless  courage 
in  hours  when  danger  and  death  surround  you. 

"Many  of  you  came  forth  from  the  fiery  furnace  of 
war  unharmed  in  body,  for  which  I  devoutly  thank  God ; 
and  some  of  you  carry  upon  your  persons  the  wounds 
which  you  received  in  the  conflict.  Permit  me  to  say  to 
you  who  are  still  suffering  from  the  effects  of  wounds 
thus  received,  you  have  in  your  sufferings  our  deepest 
and  most  heartfelt  sympathy.  We  pray  earnestly  for 
your  entire  restoration,  and  we  commend  you  to  the 
loyal  and  true  as  men  worthy  of  the  rewards  to  which 
those  are  entitled  who  in  the  cause  of  their  country  have 
received  the  stern  baptism  of  blood  and  fire. 


OP  THE  CIVIL  WAR  245 

"Before  the  expiration  of  your  term  of  enlistment 
it  became  apparent  that  the  war  would  continue  beyond 
such  term,  and  the  Government  made  an  appeal  to  you 
to  remain  longer  in  the  service.  You  had  become  vet 
eran  warriors,  and  the  continued  service  of  large  num 
bers  of  these  seemed  almost  indispensable  to  the  success 
of  our  arms.  You  had  served  faithfully  and  well  for 
nearly  three  years.  At  the  close  of  your  term  of  enlist 
ment  you  could  have  retired  from  the  service  without 
any  danger  of  imputation  upon  your  character  as  sol 
diers,  and  without  any  violation  of  your  duty  to  your 
country.  And  then,  too,  your  souls  hungered  and 
thirsted  for  all  of  those  sweet  sympathies  and  tender  en 
dearments  of  home  and  family  and  friends,  of  which  you 
had  been  deprived  so  long.  These  had  been  the  burden 
of  your  thoughts  by  day  and  of  your  dreams  by  night, 
through  all  those  years  of  waiting.  And  yet,  stifling 
these  strong  heart-yearnings,  many  of  you,  all,  doubtless, 
who  could  consistently  do  so,  responded  gallantly  to 
that  call,  and  re-enlisted  as  veterans  for  an  additional 
term  of  years.  Thrice  glorious  is  that  page  of  history 
upon  which  is  recorded  the  story  of  such  heroic,  self- 
sacrificing  devotion  to  country ! 

"I  must  now  be  pardoned  if  I  make  a  few  remarks 
personal  to  myself.  When  in  September,  1861,  we  or 
ganized  Company  K  at  Racine,  you  selected  me  as  your 
commanding  officer.  I  occupied  that  position  one  year, 
when  I  was  assigned  to  another  field  of  duty,  after 
which  I  saw  you  no  more  as  a  company.  The  first  year 
of  his  service  is  certainly  the  most  trying  in  many 
respects  in  a  soldier's  experience.  But  during  the  time 
I  was  thus  associated  with  you  I  received  invariably 
from  each  member  of  the  company  the  most  kind  and 
considerate  treatment  and  every  reasonable  evidence  of 
your  respect  and  affection.  I  regard  that  year  of  service 
as  the  most  memorable  year  of  my  life  crowded  as  it  was 


246  KEMINISCENCES 

with  events  never  to  be  forgotten.  I  parted  from  you 
with  emotions  of  profound  sorrow  and  I  watched  your 
future  career  with  intense  interest,  rejoicing  with  you 
in  spirit  in  your  successes  and  sorrowing  with  you  in 
your  afflictions.  I  never  again  expect  to  be  associated 
with  a  body  of  men  on  earth  that  I  love  more  deeply; 
and  I  shall  carry  with  me  to  my  grave  a  grateful  re 
membrance  of  all  your  kindness.  From  the  depths  of 
my  heart  I  thank  you  and  honor  you. 

"As  the  war  approached  its  conclusion  and  our 
armies  were  about  to  be  disbanded  great  apprehension 
was  felt  and  expressed  that  by  reason  of  their  long  ser 
vice  in  the  field  our  soldiers  had  become  unfitted  for  the 
pursuits  of  peace  and  good  men  trembled  for  the  effect 
upon  society  of  this  supposed  demoralization.  This 
fear  was  not  an  unreasonable  one,  because  disastrous  re 
sults  had  always  before  followed  the  disbanding  of  large 
armies.  But  the  army  was  disbanded,  and  behold,  to  the 
astonishment  of  men  the  soldiers  quietly  resumed  their 
places  in  the  ranks  of  civil  life  and  became  at  once  indus 
trious,  honored  and  useful  citizens.  There  was  no  fric 
tion,  no  demoralization,  no  letting  down  of  the  standard 
of  public  or  private  morals.  The  reasons  for  this  are 
quite  apparent,  and  I  will  briefly  discuss  them  here. 
After  the  close  of  the  war  I  had  the  honor  to  be  selected 
to  return  to  the  soldiers  of  Wisconsin  the  banners  which 
they  carried  through  the  war.  That  duty  was  performed 
at  Madison  July  4,  1866,  and  in  some  remarks  there  sub 
mitted  I  discussed  this  subject  more  at  length  than 
would  be  proper  here. 

" Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  reasons  for  this  wonderful 
fact  are  to  be  found :  first,  in  the  character  of  the  Amer 
ican  soldiers,  and  second,  in  the  nature  of  the  influences 
which  surrounded  them.  Our  soldiers  were  fighting  to 
preserve  the  Government,  and  for  the  preservation  and 
extension  of  civil  liberty.  They  were  men  of  intelligence 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  247 

and  culture,  and  the  nature  of  the  contest  in  which  they 
were  engaged  led  them  to  reflect  deeply  upon  the  duties 
and  obligations  of  the  citizen  to  the  Government  and  to 
society,  in  peace  as  well  as  in  war.  Obeying  the  require 
ments  of  those  duties  and  obligations  in  war,  at  the  risk 
of  everything  they  held  dear,  was  it  strange  that  they 
should  also  obey  them  in  peace,  and  thus  become  at  once 
good  citizens? 

"Again,  the  soldiers  were  constantly  kept  within 
the  reach  of  home  influences.  .Never  before  was  there  so 
deep  an  interest  taken  in  the  welfare  of  an  army  by  any 
nation  or  people.  The  whole  country  abounded  in 
agencies  and  efforts  having  for  their  object  the  comfort 
and  improvement  of  the  soldiers.  Amongst  these  were 
the  Sanitary  and  Christian  Commissions,  most  benefi 
cent  organizations,  with  the  operations  of  which  you  are 
all  familiar.  Delicate  women  gave  their  time  to  nursing 
the  sick,  the  mails  came  to  the  army  loaded  with  kindly 
messages  of  love  and  encouragement,  home  bounty  in 
thousands  of  cases  cheerfully  relieved  the  wants  of 
those  destitute  families  whom  the  war  deprived  of  their 
natural  protectors.  The  hearts  of  the  people  were  with 
the  army  and  their  constant  prayers  ascended  to  heaven 
for  the  welfare  of  the  soldiers  and  the  success  of  our 
arms. 

"Surrounded  by  such  restraining  and  purifying  in 
fluences,  our  soldiers  in  the  field  were  as  safe  from  de 
moralization  as  though  they  had  remained  in  their  quiet 
and  peaceful  homes. 

"Citizens:  You  who  for  the  love  of  country  sent 
forth  your  dear  ones  to  the  fields  of  war,  you  who  con 
tributed  of  your  substance  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  or 
promote  the  comfort  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Union,  or  to 
aid  their  families  at  home  when  in  need,  you  who  spoke 
or  sent  to  your  country's  defenders  words  of  greeting 
and  of  sympathy,  you  who  with  tender  hands  nursed 


248  REMINISCENCES 

them  when  they  were  stricken  down  with  wounds  or  by 
disease,  you  who  offered  fervent  prayers  to  heaven  for 
their  safety  and  success,  can  rejoice  today  that  you  con 
tributed  to  this  grand  result. 

"Comrades  of  Company  K :  Having  testified  in  the 
presence  of  this  people  of  your  fidelity  in  war  and  peace 
to  the  obligations  of  American  citizenship,  I  must  hasten 
to  a  conclusion.  These  institutions  of  freedom  are  of 
priceless  value.  They  are  the  hope  and  joy  of  the  world. 
Struggling,  oppressed  and  down-trodden  humanity 
everywhere  hail  them  with  delight,  and  watch  and  wait 
for  the  time,  and  pray  that  it  may  speedily  come,  when 
their  glory  shall  fill  the  earth.  It  is  our  high  duty  to 
see  to  it  that  these  institutions  are  maintained  inviolate. 
'Eternal  vigilence  is  the  price  of  liberty.'  You  were 
faithful  sentinels  when  perhaps  the  safety  of  armies  de 
pended  upon  your  fidelity.  Be  you  also  faithful  senti 
nels  upon  the  watch-towers  of  freedom!  Exert  all  the 
powers  and  influence  which  God  has  given  you  to  the 
preservation  of  that  for  which  you  fought,  and  which  we 
now  enjoy,  to  the  end  that  our  children  and  our  chil 
dren's  children  to  the  remotest  generation  may  enjoy 
the  same  rich  blessings;  and  to  the  end  also  that  by 
force  of  our  example  all  kings  and  princes  and  rulers  of 
men  in  all  the  earth  shall  be  constrained  to  acknowledge 
and  practice  the  sublime  truths  that,  'All  men  are  equal 
before  the  law,'  and  that  every  man  upon  this  broad  foot 
stool  of  God,  however  lowly  his  condition,  is  entitled  to 
'life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness.' 

"Comrades:  Our  pleasant  reunion  draws  to  its 
close.  We  must  soon  separate,  but  we  do  so  in  the  joyful 
hope  that  this  separation  will  be  only  for  a  season,  and 
that  many  delightful  reunions  await  us  in  the  future. 
May  the  God  of  our  fathers  bless  you  and  help  you  and 
make  all  your  future  lives  useful,  prosperous  and 
happy !" 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAK  249 


IN  MEMORIAM. 

Oration-  Delivered  at  Oakhill  Cemetery,  Janesville,  Wis 
consin. 

have  sometimes  doubted  the  propriety 
of  devoting  to  the  delivery  of  ad 
dresses  any  portion  of  the  time  occu 
pied  in  these  memorial  services,  which 
are  so  appropriately  held  each  year 
throughout  the  country  over  the 
graves  of  our  dead  soldiers.  There 
are  conditions  of  mind  that  are  far 
better  expressed  by  silence  than  by 
words;  there  are  emotions  of  the  heart  too  deep  for 
utterance.  In  the  first  light  of  a  great  joy,  or  in  the 
first  darkness  of  a  great  grief,  the  heart  turns  within 
itself  to  revel  in  its  happiness  undisturbed  or  to  suffer 
its  affliction  in  silence  and  alone.  But  after  the  first 
emotions,  whether  of  pleasure  or  pain,  have  passed,  and 
Ave  come  to  contemplate  more  calmly  the  event  that  has 
brightened  or  saddened  our  lives,  we  naturally  seek  the 
congratulations  or  sympathy  of  others  and  derive  a 
satisfaction  in  giving  utterance  to  our  surcharged  feel 
ings. 

"This  may  be  our  state  of  iniiid  today.  When  these 
brave  men  whose  services  we  are  here  to  commemorate, 
fell  in  the  defense  of  the  nation,  whether  on  the  field  of 
battle,  or  in  prison  or  hospital,  you  bowed  your  heads 
and  wept.  You  thought  of  their  sacrifices,  of  their  suf 
ferings,  and  of  their  untimely  death.  You  knew  that  no 
mother,  sister,  or  wife,  was  there  to  wipe  the  cold  death- 
damp  from  the  brow,  or  to  whisper  in  the  ear  of  the 
dying  hero  those  words  of  love  that  are  so  precious  to 
one  just  entering  the  dark  Valley  of  the  Shadow  of 


U50  REMINISCENCES 

Death.  And  if  the  blow  fell  not  upon  your  own  immedi 
ate  circle  (and  oh,  how  few  escaped!),  you  thought  of 
the  desolated  homes  of  others  less  fortunate,  and  of  the 
hearts  crushed  with  anguish,  from  which  the  light  and 
joy  and  beauty  had  gone  forever.  Oh,  how  feeble  and 
impotent  were  mere  words  to  give  utterance  to  all  you 
felt!  For  such  feelings  there  was  no  appropriate  ex 
pression  but  that  of  deepest  silence. 

"But  since  these  memorable  experiences  years  have 
elapsed.  Time,  which  in  the  good  providence  of  God  is 
ordained  to  assuage  the  bitterest  anguish — else  life 
would  be  unendurable  to  most  of  us — time  has  softened 
the  keenness  of  the  pangs  we  then  endured,  and  we  can 
now  with  a  degree  of  composure  speak  to  each  other  of 
our  irreparable  loss.  Indeed,  we  can  stand,  as  it  were, 
in  the  immediate  presence  of  our  honored  dead,  and 
while  our  feet  press  reverently  the  green  sod  beneath 
which  they  repose,  we  may  derive  a  mournful  satisfac 
tion  in  recounting  the  story  of  their  deeds — how 
promptly  they  responded  to  the  calls  of  a  lofty  patri 
otism,  to  do  which  they  were  required  to  tear  asunder 
the  dearest  earthly  ties — how  faithfully  and  unselfishly 
they  performed  their  ceaseless  round  of  duty — and  how 
fearlessly,  even  cheerfully,  they  made  the  last  great 
sacrifice. 

"Whether  we  regard  the  nature  of  the  sacrifice  or 
the  cause  in  which  it  was  made,  the  men  who  gave  their 
lives  to  the  country  in  our  late  terrible  struggle  for 
national  existence  are  entitled  to  the  everlasting  grati 
tude  not  only  of  every  American  citizen  but  of  every 
lover  of  liberty  throughout  the  world.  These  men  died 
for  the  cause  of  civil  and  religious  liberty.  They  died  to 
vindicate  the  capacity  for  and  right  of  man  to  self-gov 
ernment.  In  the  words  of  our  late  lamented  President, 
Mr.  Lincoln,  'They  died  that  government  of  the  people, 
by  the  people,  and  for  the  people,  shall  not  perish  from 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  251 

the  earth.'  In  what  nobler  cause  could  a  man  lay  down 
his  life?  He  Avho  dies  for  the  cause  of  human  liberty 
dies  for  the  cause  of  justice,  of  humanity,  of  religion ;  for 
all  these  depend  greatly  upon  the  existence  of  national 
and  individual  freedom. 

"And  then  what  shall  we  say  of  the  magnitude  of 
the  sacrifice?  Say  what  we  will,  moralize  upon  it  as  we 
may,  death  is  a  most  momentous  event.  To  bid  adieu 
to  earth,  to  close  our  eyes  upon  all  its  scenes  of  beauty, 
to  surrender  its  pursuits,  its  cherished  hopes,  its  sweet 
affections,  and  all  that  makes  life  so  pleasant  and  joyful 
—thoughts  of  these  fill  the  hearts  of  the  purest  and  best, 
at  times,  with  dark  apprehensions.  To  solve  the  dread 
mystery  of  death — to  go  forth  upon  that  journey  from 
which  we  may  return  no  more — to  approach  the  portals 
of  the  untried  future  world  of  which  we  hear  so  much, 
and  of  which,  save  by  the  powrer  of  a  lively  faith,  we 
know  so  little,  may  well  appall  the  stoutest  heart.  The 
sacred  influences  of  divine  grace  may  cheer  and  encour 
age  us,  and  give  us  fortitude  to  nfeet  our  inevitable  des 
tiny  with  composure;  but  how  seldom  do  poor  imperfect 
mortals  rise  to  that  plane  of  Christian  faith  which  en 
ables  them  fearlessly  to  exclaim,  <O  Death,  where  is  thy 
sting?  O  Grave,  where  is  thy  victory?' 

"It  is  because  this  is  true  that  in  all  ages  of  the 
world  the  highest  honors  have  been  paid  by  the  living 
to  the  memories  of  those  who  have  given  their  lives  for 
the  good  of  our  race — of  those  who  have  died  to  vindicate 
some  great  principle.  The  martyrs  in  every  good  cause 
have  sooner  or  later  received  the  applause  and  veneration 
of  the  world.  The  men  and  women  who  for  their  love  of 
Christ  were  in  former  ages  thrown  to  wild  beasts,  or 
swung  upon  the  gibbet,  or  burned  at  the  stake,  were  not 
more  truly  martyrs  than  were  those  who  gave  their  lives 
for  the  salvation  of  our  country  and  the  preservation  of 
liberty.  And  when,  throughout  this  broad  land,  thou- 


252  REMINISCENCES 

sands  of  our  people  assemble  on  the  appointed  day  in  the 
silent  cities  of  the  dead  and  tenderly  strew  the  first 
flowers  of  the  glad  springtime  upon  the  graves  of  our 
martyred  heroes,  they  but  obey  a  most  natural  and  yet 
a  most  exalted  impulse  of  the  human  heart. 

"We  must  not  forget  that  nearly  all  of  those  whose 
heroic  deeds  we  this  day  commemorate  died  in  the  morn 
ing  of  their  lives.  When  they  went  forth  from  our  midst 
to  face  the  wild  storm  of  war,  their  cheeks  were  flushed 
with  health,  their  eyes  sparkled  with  love  and  hope  and 
bright  anticipations  for  the  future,  their  hearts 
throbbed  with  pure  and  holy  affections.  How  beautiful, 
how  full  of  peace  and  gladness  did  life  appear  to  them ! 
Its  purest,  richest,  best  treasures  seemed  within  their 
reach,  and  they  doubted  not  their  ability  to  stretch  forth 
their  hands  and  gather  them  and  be  happy.  No  fears  of 
disappointed  hopes  and  crushed  affections  came  to  mar 
the  beauty  of  that  joyous,  glorious  future  which  their 
ardent  imaginations  had  pictured,  for  they  had  not  been 
called  upon  to  endure  the  sorrows  and  disappointments 
which  in  later  years  are  so  prone  to  cast  their  dark 
shadows  upon  our  hearts  and  wean  our  affections  from 
Uris  perishing  earth.  To  them  their  future  pathway 
seemed  to  be  strewed  with  flowers  as  bright  as  those 
which  loving  hands  are  this  day  scattering  upon  their 
graves. 

"Blessed  be  God  for  the  buoyancy,  the  trusting 
faith,  the  lofty  purpose,  and  the  pure  and  holy  impulses 
of  youth !  These  are  oases  to  which  the  weary,  heart-sick 
traveler  over  the  desert  of  life  may  turn  and  be  refreshed. 
But  when  the  dark  hours  came,  when  Treason  lifted  its 
head  and  sought  the  nation's  life,  and  when  it  became 
apparent  that  the  tree  of  liberty  must  again  be  fertilized 
with  human  blood,  or  else  wither  and  die,  the  effect  upon 
our  young  men  was  most  wonderful.  They  were  equal 
to  the  exigencies  of  the  occasion.  From  farm  and  shop 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  253 

and  office,  from  the  halls  of  learning  and  from  the  sacred 
desk— from  every  calling  and  pursuit  in  life — they  ral 
lied  to  their  country's  standard,  ready  to  endure  toil, 
peril,  and  if  need  be  death,  that  the  nation  might  live. 
The  strong  ties  of  affection,  the  cherished  hopes  and 
plans  of  life,  the  grim  presence  in  their  path  of  'The 
pestilence  which  walketh  in  darkness  and  the  destruc 
tion  which  wasteth  at  noon-day' — all  these  were  power 
less  to  keep  them  from  the  post  of  duty  and  danger. 
This  sentiment  of  patriotism  was  no  transient  emotion 
in  their  breasts.  It  was  a  deep,  all-pervading,  enduring 
principle.  .  It  made  them  self-sacrificing,  faithful, 
brave,  and  yet  kind  and  tender.  In  a  word,  it  developed 
them  into  the  full  stature  of  heroes  and  rendered  them 
invincible. 

"I  have  just  alluded  to  one  characteristic  of  a  true 
soldier  upon  which  I  love  to  speak.  I  said  he  was  kind 
and  tender.  Those  of  you  who  saw  something  of  our 
armies  in  the  field  understand  this  full  well.  Some  of 
you  have  seen  him  in  every  phase  of  a  soldier's  trying 
life.  You  have  seen  him  voluntarily  and  cheerfully  take 
the  place  of  a  disabled  brother  soldier  on  the  lonely  and 
perilous  outpost  in  the  immediate  presence  of  the  enemy, 
and  there,  through  hours  of  darkness  and  tempest,  faith 
fully  keep  the  ceaseless  vigils  of  liberty.  You  have  wit 
nessed  his  self-sacrificing,  generous  spirit  manifested  in 
a  thousand  ways.  You  saw  him  nursing  his  sick  com 
rade  with  all  the  ineffable  tenderness  of  women,  and 
you  have  seen  him  shed  scalding  tears  when  some  loved 
one  fell.  Oh,  how  precious  are  the  tears  of  a  soldier 
over  his  dead  comrade !  They  show  that  a  tender,  loving 
heart  is  compatible  with  the  highest  courage.  So  sang 
some  sweet  poet  long  ago  in  words  familiar  to  all : 

"  'Go,  watch  the  foremost  rank  in  battle's  wild  career ; 
Be  sure  the  hand  most  daring  there  has  wiped  away  a 
tear.' 


254  REMINISCENCES 

"Such  were  the  men  whose  grand  achievements  and 
sublime  patriotism  we  this  day  commemorate.  Standing 
here  in  this  quiet,  lovely  retreat,  set  apart  for  the  final 
resting  place  of  your  loved  ones,  after  The  silver  cord  is 
loosed  and  the  golden  bowl  is  broken' — with  the  bright 
sunlight  of  heaven  upon  us  and  all  nature  rejoicing  in 
the  smile  of  its  Creator,  with  this  strange  blending  of 
both  sweet  and  mournful  influences  upon  us,  standing 
here  upon  this  thrice  hallowed  spot,  in  the  mystical 
presence  of  our  dead  heroes,  and  remembering  their  pat 
riotism  and  sacrifices  for  us  and  our  children,  our  hearts 
would  be  cold  indeed  did  we  not  experience  in  some  de 
gree  the  emotions  which  stirred  the  heart  of  Israel's  great 
lawgiver  when  the  mysterious  voice  said  to  him  from 
the  midst  of  the  burning  bush,  'Put  off  thy  shoes  from 
off  thy  feet,  for  the  place  whereon  thou  standest  is  holy 
ground.' 

"But  our  gratitude  is  not  confined  to  those  of  our 
martyred  sons  who  rest  so  peacefully  here.  Our  hearts 
expand  to  include  all  who  fell  in  the  Nation's  defense, 
wherever  their  lifeless  forms  may  repose.  These  are  not 
all  gathered  where  a  grateful  people  may  stand  by  their 
graves  and  scatter  these  beautiful  tokens  of  remem 
brance  over  them.  In  thousands  they  sleep  where  they 
fell,  and  sorrowing  friends  may  never  know  the  place. 
This  sad  thought  is  not  without  its  consolations.  There 
is,  after  all,  a  propriety  in  burying  a  fallen  soldier  upon 
the  field  from  which  amid  the  tumult  and  carnage  and 
wild  scenes  of  battle  his  heroic  spirit  ascended  to  God. 
Who  has  not  felt  the  force  of  this  thought  when  he  has 
read  the  sad  and  touching  story  of  the  burial  of  Sir 
John  Moore! 

"  'We  finished  our  task,  and  left  him  alone 
On  the  field  of  his  fame  fresh  and  gory ; 

We  carved  not  a  line,  we  raised  not  a  stone, 
But  left  him  alone  in  his  glory/ 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  255 

"Although  we  may  not  literally  scatter  flowers  upon 
those  unknown  graves,  yet  will  we  do  so  in  spirit ;  and 
the  honors  which  we  here  pay  to  our  dead  shall  be  the 
emblem  and  symbol  of  the  gratitude  we  cherish  for  every 
fallen  Union  soldier,  wherever  his  final  resting  place 
may  be.  In  this  enlarged  spirit  let  this  pious  observance 
be  continued  through  the  years  as  they  come  and  go, 
and  let  us  never  weary  in  rendering  due  honors  to  the 
memories  of  our  illustrious  dead. 

"  'Bring  flowers,  bright  flowers,  o'er  their  graves  to  shed, 
Fit  crowns  for  the  brows  of  our  gallant  dead.' 

"Turn  we  now  for  a  few  moments  to  the  considera 
tion  of  another  but  kindred  theme.  My  duty  would  be 
but  poorly  and  imperfectly  performed  did  I  fail  to  speak 
of  our  obligations  to  the  living.  The  dead  are  at  rest,  but 
the  living,  who  have  been  bereft  of  their  stay  and  sup 
port,  have  yet  to  suffer  and  mourn.  Upon  the  brave 
hearts  and  strong  arms  of  these  men,  aged  parents,  lov 
ing  wives,  and  helpless  children  leaned  and  relied.  The 
strong  arms  are  nerveless,  the  brave  hearts  have  ceased 
to  beat,  and  parent,  wife  and  child  are  treading  the  dark 
pathway  of  life  in  sorrow  and  alone.  They  need  our 
warmest  sympathy ;  many  of  them  need  material  aid.  It 
is  our  duty  and  our  high  privilege  to  give  them  both. 
They  have  suffered  much.  When  their  loved  ones  went 
forth  to  the  rough  fields  of  war,  the  anguish  of  parting 
was  almost  unendurable;  but  who  shall  tell  the  depth 
of  agony  that  overwhelmed  them  when  the  tidings  came 
that  the  son,  or  husband,  or  father  had  fallen?  Words 
can  not  express  it.  None  but  those  whose  hearts  have 
been  suddenly  crushed  by  some  terrible  blow  can  ever  ap 
preciate  it.  There  are  doubtless  thousands  of  widows 
and  helpless  children  in  our  land  today  made  such  by 
the  cruel  fortunes  of  war,  who,  in  addition  to  all  this 


25(5  REMINISCENCES 

mental  suffering,  are  living  in  straightened  circum 
stances,  if  they  do  not  actually  suffer  for  the  necessaries 
of  life.  The  Governments,  both  national  and  State,  have 
done  much  to  relieve  this  class — all,  perhaps,  that  it  is 
practicable  for  them  to  do — and  yet  many  meritorious 
cases  are  unrelieved.  I  do  not  know  that  there  are  any 
such  in  this  community.  If  there  are,  those  unfortunate 
persons  are  entitled  to  your  free  and  liberal  aid.  You 
can  not  entirely  lift  from  their  hearts  the  burden  of 
their  great  sorrow,  but  you  may  lighten  that  burden 
by  ministering  of  your  abundance  to  their  necessities. 
If  you  will  feed  them  and  clothe  them,  and,  as  you  have 
opportunity,  by  kindly  offices  bind  up  their  broken 
spirits,  there  shall  fall  upon  your  ear  and  heart  in  tones 
more  ravishing  than  strains  of  sweetest  music,  the 
divine  assurance,  'Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  these  help 
less,  sorrowing  ones,  ye  did  it  unto  me.' 

"We  shall  now  perform  the  pious  rites  for  which 
we  assembled,  and  then  we  go  forth  from  this  sacred 
place  to  the  earnest  struggles  and  unceasing  duties  of 
life.  But  the  dead,  to  whom  we  pay  these  tributes  of 
gratitude  and  affection,  go  not  with  us.  Their  bodies 
rest  peacefully  here  awaiting  the  resurrection  morning. 
They  shall  stand  no  more  by  our  side  on  earth  to  encour 
age  or  to  console  us.  With  the  returning  seasons  the 
grass  shall  grow  and  the  flowers  of  summer  shall  bloom 
upon  their  graves,  and  the  winter  snows  shall  cover 
them,  and  the  night  wind  as  it  sighs  low  and  plaintively 
above  them  shall  breathe  sadly  a  dirge  and  requiem  for 
the  dead.  Their  work  is  done,  ours  is  not ;  and  we  who 
stand  here  today  will  have  failed  to  catch  the  true  in 
spiration  of  the  occasion  if  we  go  not  hence  with  high 
resolve  that  from  henceforth  in  the  great  battle  of  life 
we  will  shrink  from  no  necessary  toil,  or  danger,  or  sac 
rifice,  but  that  like  these  heroic  men  we  will  obey  the  call 
of  duty  wherever  it  may  lead  us.  The  highest  tribute 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  257 

we  can  pay  to  the  memory  of  those  who  died  for  our 
country — who  died  for  us — is  to  show  by  lives  devoted  to 
the  good  of  our  fellow  men,  by  earnest  endeavor  to  make 
the  world  better  and  happier  because  we  have  lived  in 
it,  that  their  example  of  lofty  self-sacrifice  has  not  been 
lost  upon  us.  Let  us  rise  to  the  height  of  the  great  argu 
ment.  In  the  beautiful  language  of  our  own  illustrious 
Bryant,  let  us 

"  'So  live,  that  when  our  summons  comes  to  join 
The  innumerable  caravan,  which  moves 
To  that  mysterious  realm,  where  each  shall  take 
His  chamber  in  the  silent  halls  of  death, 
We  go  not,  like  the  quarry-slave  at  night, 
Scourged  to  his  dungeon,  but,  sustained  and  soothed 
By  an  unfaltering  trust,  approach  the  grave 
Like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams.' 

"Our  theme  stirs  our  hearts,  and  we  love  to  linger 
here  and  think  and  speak  of  the  dead.  But  we  must  for 
bear.  .  The  lengthening  shadows  will  soon  admonish  us 
that  our  exercises  must  close. 

"And  now,  ye  patriot  martyrs,  you  may  not  hear  our 
words  of  gratitude,  or  understand  our  emotions  as  we 
perform  these  affectionate  rites  over  your  earthly  rest 
ing  places;  and  yet,  perhaps  you  are  cognizant  of  them 
all.  It  accords  with  our  feelings  today  to  believe  that 
even  now  your  spirits  walk  the  fields  of  Paradise  in  the 
vigor  and  glory  of  immortal  youth  and  in  the  full  enjoy 
ment  of  the  rewards  which  must  await  those  who  do 
their  duty  on  earth.  We  may  not  know  this  certainly, 
yet  our  yearning  hearts  will  ask : 

"  ' Where  is  your  dwelling,  ye  sainted? 
Through  what  Elysium  more  bright 
Than  fancy  or  hope  ever  painted, 
Walk  ye  in  glory  and  light?' 


258  REMINISCENCES 

"But  whether  ye  hear  us  or  not,  we  will  cherish  the 
memory  of  your  achievements ;  still  will  we  remember 
you  when  we  behold  the  victories  of  that  peace  which 
you  helped  to  purchase  with  your  blood,  the  growth  of 
liberty,  the  increase  of  knowledge  and  of  happiness ;  the 
rising,  spreading  glories  of  the  land  you  died  to  save. 
Still  will  we  render  our  tearful  tribute  to  your  mem 
ories;  and  if  wicked  men  shall  again  menace  with  de 
struction  our  cherished  institutions  of  freedom,  we  will 
come  here  to  learn  anew  the  lessons  of  patriotic  duty, 
and  in  the  august  presence  of  heroes  once  more  with 
voice  and  heart  will  we  pledge  life  and  everything  which 
we  hold  most  dear  on  earth  to  the  cause  for  which  you 
died — the  cause  of  truth,  of  justice,  and  of  liberty." 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR 


259 


Oration  Delivered  at  Waterford,  Racine  County,  Wis 
consin,  July  ±th,  1859. 

n  this  beautiful  islet,  and  in  this  peace 
ful  'Temple  of  the  Firmament,'  we 
assemble  today,  in  obedience  to  a  time- 
honored  custom,  to  commemorate  the 
day  and  the  event  from  which  we  date 
our  existence  as  a  free  and  indepen 
dent  nation. 

"Eighty-three  years  ago  this  day, 
in  the  quiet,  peaceful  city  of  Philadel 
phia,  in  the  old  Independence  Hall,  a  scene  was  enacted 
which  was  destined  to  exert  upon  the  interests  of  the 
world,  and  upon  the  happiness  of  mankind,  a  more  im 
portant  influence  for  good  than  any  other  event  which 
had  transpired  since  the  crucifixion  and  resurrection  of 
the  Savior. 

"The  actors  in  this  great  event  were  the  delegates  of 
the  thirteen  American  Colonies  in  the  Continental  Con 
gress  there  assembled — the  event  itself  was  the  promul 
gation  by  that  Congress  of  the  Declaration  of  American 
Independence. 

"It  is  almost  impossible  for  us  at  this  period  of  time 
fully  to  appreciate  the  sublime  heroism  of  these  men  in 
thus  boldly  sending  forth  to  the  world  this  great  declara 
tion  of  their  rights,  and  of  the  rights  of  humanity.  The 
act  itself  was  treason.  In  case  of  failure,  the  conse 
quences  to  them  and  to  all  who  should  take  up  arms  in 
support  of  the  principles  by  them  enunciated  would  be 
appalling  indeed.  By  all  the  rules  for  estimating  the 
chances  of  the  contest,  the  failure  and  defeat  of  the  col 
onists  seemed  almost  certain.  They  were  few  in  num 
bers — sparsely  scattered  over  an  immense  territory — 
without  arms,  without  munitions  of  war ;  exhausted  and 


260  REMINISCENCES 

impoverished  by  bloody,  harrassing  and  expensive  In 
dian  wars,  the  chief  burden  of  which  the  mother  country 
had  compelled  the  colonies  to  bear ;  a  hostile,  savage  foe, 
infuriated  by  recent  defeats  and  losses  suffered  at  the 
hands  of  the  colonists,  thronged  their  frontiers  and 
thirsted  for  their  blood.  They  had  no  navy  and  no  forti 
fications,  they  were  without  money  and  without  credit— 
and,  in  a  word,  they  were  almost  entirely  destitute  of 
every  mere  physical  element  of  success. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  mother  country  abounded  in  all 
these.  She  had  immense  armies  and  fleets,  and  vast, 
boundless  resources.  She  was  in  possession,  by  the  oc 
cupancy  of  her  fleets  and  armies,  of  all  of  the  fortifica 
tions  and  strongholds  upon  this  continent.  She  was  en 
gaged  in  no  other  war  of  magnitude  at  that  time,  to 
divert  her  attention  or  divide  her  forces.  She  was  in 
the  very  zenith  of  her  power  and  her  influence  among 
the  nations  of  the  earth.  As  has  been  most  eloquently 
and  truthfully  said  of  her  at  that  period,  'She  was  rich 
in  arts  and  in  arms,  the  roll  of  her  morning  drum-beat 
encircled  the  earth,  and  upon  her  dominions  the  sun 
never  set.' 

"Yet,  notwithstanding  this  frightful  disparity  in 
physical  resources — notwithstanding  that  to  all  human 
appearance  the  colonies  must  be  crushed  in  the  ap 
proaching  contest,  these  heroes  faltered  not.  They  knew 
that  the  colonies  had  been  denied  their  just  rights  and 
had  been  oppressed  and  down-trodden  by  the  mother 
country.  They  knew  that  their  most  sacred  rights  had 
been  invaded  and  destroyed,  and  they  saw  no  hope  in 
the  future  that  their  grievances  would  be  voluntarily 
redressed.  Their  motto  was,  'It  is  better  to  die  free  men 
than  to  live  slaves,'  and  they  hesitated  not  to  act.  To 
them  the  path  of  duty  was  plain;  and  although  it  was 
the  path  of  danger,  perhaps  of  death,  they  never  faltered 
in  the  pursuit  of  their  purpose.  Appealing  to  the  Su- 


OP  THE  CIVIL  WAR  261 

preme  Judge  of  the  world  for  the  rectitude  of  their  in 
tentions,  and  relying  with  a  sincere  faith  upon  the  pro 
tection  of  Divine  Providence,  and  pledging  each  to  the 
other,  life,  fortune  and  sacred  honor,7  in  its  support, 
they  sent  forth  to  the  world  the  glorious  Declaration  of 
American  Independence — and  thus  inaugurated  the 
American  Revolution. 

"It  would  be  a  pleasing  task  today  to  trace  the  his 
tory  of  that  revolution ;  to  dwell  upon  the  heroism,  the 
fortitude,  the  unyielding  firmness  of  purpose,  the  deep 
devotion  to  the  principles  of  liberty,  the  firm  reliance 
upon  the  justice  of  their  cause  and  the  protection  of  the 
Almighty,  displayed  by  our  forefathers  in  that  mem 
orable  contest.  Did  not  other  themes  of  more  pressing, 
practical  importance  to  us  claim  our  attention  today,  I 
should  delight  to  roam,  for  the  brief  period  alloted  me, 
in  these  interesting  historical  fields ;  to  recall  to  mind  the 
noble  heroism  of  the  men  and  women  of  the  Revolution ; 
to  speak  of  their  labors,  their  sacrifices,  and  their  suf 
ferings,  and  the  glorious  results  which  their  valor  and 
wisdom  achieved.  I  leave  these  delightful  themes  re 
luctantly,  lingering  only  to  say  that  the  brave  actors  in 
the  stirring  and  momentous  scenes  of  the  Revolution 
have  nearly  all  passed  away.  'The  places  that  once  knew 
them  shall  know  them  no  more  forever.'  There  are  doubt 
less  those  within  the  sound  of  my  voice  today  who  never 
have  met,  and  who  never  will  meet  this  side  of  heaven, 
a  soldier  of  the  Revolution.  The  men  who  fought  for 
liberty  and  the  rights  of  men  at  Lexington  and  Bunker 
Hill,  at  Saratoga,  Bennington  and  Yorktown,  at  Brandy- 
wine,  at  Guilford,  at  Eutaw  Springs  and  at  Camden, 
and  upon  all  the  other  memorable  battlefields  of  the 
Revolution,  whether  amid  the  frosts  and  snows  of  the 
North  or  in  the  swamps  and  everglades  of  the  South, 
have  been  gathered  to  their  fathers. 


262  REMINISCENCES 

u  'They  sleep  their  last  sleep,  they  have  fought  their  last 

battle; 
No  sound  shall  awake  them  to  glory  again.' 

"But  they  live  in  the  gratitude  of  their  countrymen 
and  of  the  friends  of  liberty  throughout  the  earth,  who 
will  with  one  accord  acknowledge  that  whatever  of 
superior  civil  and  religious  liberty  we  enjoy,  whatever  of 
the  elements  of  power  and  greatness  we  possess  as  a 
nation,  whatever  of  influence  for  good  our  free  institu 
tions  have  exerted  and  are  exerting  upon  the  destinies 
of  mankind,  we  owe  it  all  to  them.  And  so  long  as  lofty 
virtue  and  heroic  deeds  excite  the  admiration,  and  the 
love  of  liberty  inspires  the  hearts  of  men,  so  long  will 
the  memory  of  these  heroes  be  cherished  and  loved  by 
the  good  and  the  true  of  every  land  through  all  the  ages 
to  come. 

"I  pass  to  another  and  I  fear  to  a  less  interesting 
theme.  The  great  leading  ideas  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  are  the  perfect  freedom  and  equality  of  all 
men,  and  that  the  true  functions  of  human  governments 
are  to  protect  and  to  preserve  that  freedom  and  that 
equality;  or,  in  other  words,  that  governments  were 
made  for  the  citizens  and  not  the  citizens  for  the  govern 
ment.  To  us  these  ideas  are  truisms.  They  were  not 
such  in  the  days  of  the  Revolution.  The  world  at  that 
time  was  imbued  with  monarchical  sentiments  and  opin 
ions,  one  of  which  was  that  the  sovereign  and  not  the 
people  was  the  source  of  all  power.  It  is  true  that  some 
nations  enjoyed  greater  privileges  than  others,  but  these 
privileges  were  regarded  as  concessions  or  favors 
granted  by  the  sovereign  to  the  people  by  the  voluntary 
act  of  the  sovereign,  or  obtained  from  him  by  coercion 
and  force,  and  were  never  regarded  as  rights  inherent 
in  the  people. 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  263 

"The  famous  Magna  Charta,  the  pride  and  boast  of 
the  English  nation,  was  extorted  by  the  barons  from  a 
reluctant  monarch  at  the  point  of  the  sword,  and  none 
of  them  claimed  or  supposed  when  they  were  securing 
the  important  rights  guaranteed  by  that  instrument, 
that  they  were  but  reclaiming  rights  originally  inherent 
in  the  people,  which  had  been  usurped  by  the  sovereign. 

"Again,  even  in  constitutional  governments  like 
England,  the  idea  of  the  political  equality  of  all  men 
had  never  been  entertained.  If  rights  had  been  conceded 
by  the  sovereign,  or  wrested  from  him  by  force,  they 
were  conceded  only  to,  or  enured  only  to  the  benefit  of 
certain  privileged  classes,  the  great  mass  of  the  subjects 
deriving  no  benefit  therefrom.  These  were  mere  ap 
pendages  of  the  State,  not  an  integral  portion  of  it. 
Their  rights  as  men  were  but  imperfectly  recognized,  if 
at  all.  They  were  but  the  mere  instruments  of  the  State 
to  sustain  and  uphold  its  power,  without  any  admitted 
claim  upon  it  for  the  enjoyment  of  any  rights  as  men. 
This  was  the  condition  of  the  masses,  and  these  were  the 
sentiments  and  opinions  which  had  long  ruled  the  world 
when  the  Declaration  of  American  Independence  was 
first  promulgated. 

"The  individuality  of  man,  his  rights  as  such,  being 
almost  entirely  unrecognized,  the  sovereign  or  the  State 
was  the  absolute  lord — the  people,  the  abject  subjects; 
and  all  grants  of  privileges,  even  to  privileged  classes, 
were  conceded  as  favors — never  yielded  as  rights. 

"It  was  in  such  ideas  as  these  that  the  doctrine  of 
the  absolute  power  of  the  State  over  the  subject  took 
deep  root  and  flourished — and  the  universal  prevalence 
of  these  ideas  was  the  great  source  of  all  the  wrongs  and 
oppressions  which  the  world  had  so  long  endured,  and 
under  which  humanity  had  so  long  groaned. 

"It  is  true  that  men  had  lived  who  saw  and  realized 
that  these  prevalent  doctrines  were  fatal  errors,  and  de- 


264  REMINISCENCES 

plored  the  consequences  of  them;  but  it  remained  for 
the  fathers  of  the  Revolution  to  make  the  first  successful 
application  in  the  administration  of  human  affairs  of 
the  sublime  principles  that  all  men  were  created  free 
and  equal;  that  be  he  high  or  low,  rich  or  poor,  each 
individual  is  entitled  to  life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of 
happiness;  that  these  sacred  rights  were  inalienable, 
and  when  a  government  failed  to  guarantee  and  protect 
them,  it  became  not  only  the  right  but  the  duty  of  the 
people  to  abolish  that  government  and  establish  in  place 
thereof  one  which  would  afford  such  protection.  They 
say: 

"  'We  hold  these  truths  to  be  self-evident,  that  all 
men  are  created  equal;  that  they  are  endowed  by  their 
Creator  with  certain  inalienable  rights;  that  among 
these  are  life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness ;  that 
to  secure  these  rights  governments  were  instituted 
among  men,  deriving  their  just  powers  from  the  consent 
of  the  governed ;  and  that  whenever  any  form  of  govern 
ment  becomes  destructive  of  these  ends,  it  is  the  right  of 
the  people  to  alter  or  to  abolish  it  and  to  institute  a  new 
government,  laying  its  foundation  on  such  principles, 
and  organizing  its  powers  in  such  form  as  to  them  shall 
seem  most  likely  to  effect  their  safety  and  happiness.' 
And  again,  'When  a  long  train  of  abuses  and  usurpa 
tions,  pursuing  invariably  the  same  object,  evinces  a  de 
sign  to  reduce  them  under  absolute  despotism,  it  is  their 
right,  it  is  their  duty,  to  throw  off  such  government  and 
to  provide  new  guards  for  their  future  security.' 

"The  assertion  of  these  principles  was  the  grand 
distinctive  feature  of  the  American  Revolution,  as  the 
triumph  of  them  was  its  chief  glory  and  value.  It  was  a 
mighty  stride  in  the  science  of  government,  the  equal  of 
which  the  world  never  before  saw. 

"But  these  great  principles,  before  they  became  per 
manently  established,  must  pass  another  ordeal.  True, 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  265 

they  had  been  promulgated  in  the  Declaration  of  Inde 
pendence,  and  the  battles  of  the  Revolution  had  been 
fought,  and  the  blood  of  patriots  shed,  to  establish  and 
to  confirm  them.  But  how  was  a  government  to  be  or 
ganized  and  set  in  motion,  established  and  made  perma 
nent,  that  should  make  secure  to  the  people  these  great 
principles  of  equal  rights  and  of  individual  freedom  V 
How  accomplish  these,  and  at  the  same  time  preserve  the 
sovereignty  of  the  independent  States  and  secure  the 
proper  strength  and  efficiency  of  the  general  govern 
ment?  How  should  conflicting  views  and  opinions  be 
reconciled  and  conflicting  interests  harmonized,  so  that 
every  element  of  discord  should  be  hushed  and  a  gov 
ernment  reared — compact,  simple,  strong,  permanent, 
and  yet  free —  a  government  that  should  fully  realize  the 
hopes,  the  grand  ideal  of  its  founders?  These  were  grave 
questions,  and  full  of  difficulties ;  but  the  course  of 
events  had  paved  the  way  for  their  successful  solution. 

"Struggling  in  a  common  cause,  engaged  in  the 
pursuit  of  a  common  object,  enduring  together  common 
privations  and  common  sufferings,  through  the  changing 
fortunes  of  a  long  and  perilous  war,  the  people  of  all  the 
colonies  had  formed  for  each  other  the  warmest  attach 
ments  and  had  learned  to  cherish  for  each  other  the 
most  profound  fraternal  feelings.  They  who  at  the 
commencement  of  the  Revolution  were  as  strangers  to 
each  other,  widely  separated  by  distance  and  by  inter 
est,  without  any  of  the  ties  existing  between  them  which 
bind  nation  to  nation,  or  State  to  State,  were  then  for 
the  first  time  brought  together,  and  for  the  first  time 
learned  that  their  hearts  beat  in  unison,  and  that  in 
their  sublime  patriotism  and  love  of  liberty  they  were  all 
brothers !  From  the  North  and  the  South,  from  seaboard 
and  frontier  they  rallied  together  around  the  standard 
of  their  common  country.  Together  they  faced  danger 
and  death,  together  in  the  deadly  conflict  they  offered 


REMINISCENCES 


up  their  lives  a  willing  sacrifice  upon  the  altars  of  free 
dom.  The  same  breeze  wafted  their  expiring  sighs,  and 
the  same  gory  battlefield  drank  their  blood.  Together 
they  had  met  and  deliberated  in  council  in  the  darkest 
hours  of  the  contest,  and  together  had  they  invoked  the 
Divine  blessing  and  the  Divine  protection  upon  their 
cause.  This  union  of  purpose  and  effort,  these  fraternal 
feelings  that  seemed  to  pervade  all  hearts  throughout 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  tranquilized  every 
element  of  discord  and  led  to  a  union  of  the  States. 

"  Again,  the  dangers  and  sacrifices  of  the  struggle 
had  led  the  people  to  reflect  upon  and  discuss  the  prin 
ciples  for  which  they  were  contending,  until  the  whole 
people  were  inspired  with  an  unconquerable  devotion  to 
the  cause  of  liberty.  The  memorable  sentiment  of  Pat 
rick  Henry,  'Give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death,'  was  the 
burden  of  every  heart.  This  deep,  all  prevailing  senti 
ment  of  the  people  enabled  our  forefathers  to  frame  and 
adopt  a  system  of  government  for  the  States  thus 
united,  which  guaranteed  to  every  citizen  liberty  and 
equal  rights  ;  or,  in  other  words,  a  system  based  upon 
the  principles  enunciated  in  the  Declaration  of  Inde 
pendence.  Thus  it  was,  through  the  blessing  of  Divine 
Providence,  and  prompted  by  the  most  exalted  patri 
otism,  that  our  forefathers  were  enabled  to  overcome 
every  obstacle,  to  surmount  every  difficulty,  and  to  es 
tablish  the  first  really  free  government  that  the  world 
ever  saw  —  the  first  government  that  reserved  the  sov 
ereign  power  to  the  whole  people,  and  guaranteed  the 
largest  rational  liberty  and  perfect  equality  of  rights  to 
each  and  every  citizen. 

"Were  any  evidence  necessary  to  prove  the  inestim 
able  value  of  free  institutions  in  promoting  the  happi 
ness  and  prosperity  of  a  people,  that  evidence  is  fur 
nished  abundantly  by  our  own  national  experience. 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  267 

"Three-fourths  of  a  century  is  but  a  brief  period  hi 
the  history  of  a  nation,  and  yet  in  that  time  what 
mighty  results  have  been  accomplished !  We  have  al 
ready  glanced  at  the  condition  of  the  colonies  at  the 
commencement  of  the  Revolution.  At  its  close,  in  1783, 
their  condition  in  most  of  the  material  elements  of  pros 
perity  was  even  worse  than  at  its  commencement.  They 
were  still  without  resources,  and  burdened  with  a  heavy 
public  debt.  They  had  no  commerce,  no  system  of  edu 
cation.  Agriculture  languished,  and  the  arts  of  peace 
were  neglected;  and,  superadded  to  all  these,  they  had 
but  just  inaugurated  a  new  and  untried  system  of 
government. 

"I  will  not  stop  to  draw  a  picture  of  the  present 
condition  of  the  country.  I  leave  that  pleasant  task  to 
my  young  and  eloquent  friend  who  is  to  follow  me. 
Suffice  it  for  me  to  say  that  its  progress  in  all  the  ma 
terial  elements  of  greatness  has  been  unparalleled  in 
the  history  of  nations.  This  wonderful  progress  is  but 
one  development  of  the  value  of  free  institutions.  What 
mind,  except  that  of  the  Omniscient,  can  comprehend 
fully  their  influence  and  their  priceless  worth !  The 
triumph  of  rational,  individual  freedom!  The  recogni 
tion  of  man  as  man  and  not  as  a  mere  tool  or  instrument 
of  the  State!  The  equal  rights  of  all  men!  Perfect 
liberty  of  speech,  of  opinion,  of  conscience!  Who  will 
attempt  to  fathom  their  value  to  a  nation,  to  humanity, 
to  the  world !  Who  shall  say  how  greatly  the  enjoyment 
of  these  for  three-fourths  of  a  century  by  this  people  has 
contributed  to  promote  the  cause  of  human  progress,  or 
how  much  it  has  added  to  the  sum  of  human  happiness ! 
Who,  looking  down  the  long  vista  of  the  ages  to  come, 
though  he  were  gifted  with  prophetic  vision,  could  form 
even  a  faint  conception  of  the  mighty  influences  for 
good  which  the  triumph  of  these  principles  is  yet  to 
exert  upon  the  destiny  of  the  human  race! 


268  REMINISCENCES 

"Here  it  would  be  pleasant  to  stop,  or  at  least  to 
occupy  the  remainder  of  the  time  allotted  me  in  giving 
utterance  to  kindred  thoughts,  or  in  elaborating  those 
already  expressed.  But  he  who  is  chosen  to  address  an 
audience  of  his  countrymen  on  this  sacred  day  has 
obligations  resting  upon  him  which  he  can  not  avoid, 
has  solemn  duties  to  perform  which  must  not  be  neg 
lected. 

"If  he  knows  that  any  of  the  great  fundamental 
principles  of  freedom  and  equality  upon  which  our  in 
stitutions  are  based  are  being  violated — if  he  finds  that 
the  attachment  of  any  portion  of  the  people  to  those 
principles  has  become  weakened  or  impaired,  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  orator  upon  these  occasions  (as  it  is  the 
duty  of  every  citizen  upon  all  proper  occasions)  to 
raise  the  voice  of  warning,  to  give  the  alarm  of  danger, 
and  not  to  lull  to  repose.  If  there  is  oppression  in  the 
land,  if  wrong  prevail,  if  fraud  and  corruption  exist  in 
high  places,  if  the  God-given,  unalienable  rights  of  any 
class  be  stricken  down,  it  is  his  imperative  duty  (and 
accursed  be  he  who  shrinks  from  it)  to  denounce  to  his 
assembled  countrymen  the  wrong  and  the  wrong-doer 
and  to  call  upon  his  fellow  citizens  by  all  the  sacred 
memories  of  the  past  and  all  the  glorious  hopes  of  the 
future,  by  their  veneration  for  their  fathers  and  their 
love  for  their  children,  by  all  that  is  valuable  in  free 
dom  or  ennobling  in  a  patriotic  devotion  to  our  country, 
to  arise  in  their  might  and  by  the  proper  use  of  the  all 
powerful  yet  peaceful  means  within  their  control,  to 
abolish  the  wrong  and  correct  the  abuse,  and  to  see  to 
it  that  the  Government  fulfill  the  purposes  for  which  it 
was  organized. 

"The  framers  of  the  Constitution  declared  in  the 
preamble  to  that  instrument  the  objects  for  which  the 
Government  was  formed.  They  say: 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  269 

,  the  people  of  the  United  States,  in  order  to 
form  a  more  perfect  union,  establish  justice,  insure 
domestic  tranquility,  provide  for  the  common  defence, 
promote  the  general  welfare,  and  secure  the  blessings 
of  liberty  to  ourselves  and  our  posterity,  do  ordain  and 
establish  this  Constitution  for  the  United  States  of 
America.' 

"Does  this  Government  in  its  practical  results  come 
up  to  this  high  standard?  Is  justice  established  and 
liberty  fully  secured?  That  the  theory  of  our  Govern 
ment  is  perfect,  that  in  its  practical  operation  we  have 
become  the  most  free  and  prosperous  nation  that  exists 
or  that  ever  has  existed,  I  joyfully  admit ;  but  it  becomes 
my  duty  to  say  that  thus  far  we  come  far  short  of  carry 
ing  out  fully  the  beneficent  designs  of  the  founders  of  the 
Government,  that  we  have  thus  far  failed  in  many 
respects  to  give  practical  effect  to  the  principles  of  free 
dom  laid  down  and  inculcated  by  the  early  fathers  and 
embodied  in  the  theory  of  our  institutions. 

"We  can  not,  if  we  would,  close  our  eyes  to  the  sad 
and  mournful  truth  that  under  the  flag  of  our  country, 
and  tolerated  and  sustained  by  the  legislation  and 
public  sentiment  of  very  many  of  the  States  of  this 
Union,  an  institution  exists  which  dooms  to  hopeless 
servitude  millions  of  our  fellow  beings;  an  institution 
which  denies  to  its  victims  every  right  dear  to  humanity ; 
which  consigns  him  to  a  life  of  ignorance,  degradation 
and  servile  toil ;  which  reduces  him  to  the  condition  of 
a  chattel  and  transfers  him  like  a  beast  of  burden  from 
one  owner  to  another  by  purchase  and  sale;  which  de 
nies  him  education  and  social  rights;  which  seals  up 
from  him  the  Bible  and  almost  every  other  fountain  of 
consolation  and  knowledge;  which  tears  his  wife  from 
his  helpless  arms  and  his  children  from  his  desolated 
bosom ;  which,  in  a  word,  renders  his  whole  earthly  ex 
istence  one  dark  scene  of  desolation  and  ruin  and  unut- 


270  REMINISCENCES 

terable  agony !  God  forbid  that  we  should  this  day  for 
get  our  brethren  in  bonds.  Let  us  remember,  though 
it  be  with  bitter  regrets,  when  the  morning  of  our  great 
national  anniversary  dawns  upon  us,  and-  is  ushered 
in  by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  the  deep,  booming  roar 
of  cannon,  with  music  and  with  every  other  possible 
demonstration  of  our  great  joy;  when  we  meet  in  vil 
lage,  in  town,  and  in  city,  in  thronging  multitudes  to 
celebrate  the  day  and  to  exult  in  the  consciousness  of 
the  possession  of  so  much  liberty  and  in  the  contempla 
tion  of  our  unexampled  prosperity,  when  every  heart  is 
jubilant  and  every  bosom  burns  with  the  fires  of  a  lofty 
patriotism,  O !  let  us  then  remember  that  to  four  millions 
of  the  people  of  this  favored  land  our  returning  anniver 
sary  brings  no  emotions  of  delight,  that  it  fails  to  allevi 
ate  in  the  slightest  degree  their  weary  round  of  cease 
less,  hopeless  servitude! 

"Listen  to  the  mournful  eloquence  of  one  of  these 
victims  of  oppression  [Frederick  Douglas]  upon  an 
occasion  like  this,  speaking  to  us  the  sentiments  of  his 
afflicted  race.  He  exclaims: 

"  'I  am  not  included  within  the  pale  of  this  glorious 
anniversary!  Your  high  independence  only  reveals  the 
immeasurable  distance  between  us.  The  blessings  in 
which  you  this  day  rejoice  are  not  enjoyed  in  common. 
The  high  inheritance  of  justice,  liberty,  prosperity  and 
independence  bequeathed  by  your  fathers  is  shared  by 
you,  not  by  me.  The  sunlight  that  brought  life  and 
healing  to  you  has  brought  stripes  and  death  to  me. 
The  Fourth  of  July  is  yours,  not  mine.  You  may  re 
joice — /  must  mourn.  To  drag  a  man  in  fetters  into 
the  grand,  illuminated  Temple  of  Liberty,  and  there  call 
him  to  join  you  in  joyous  anthems,  were  inhuman  mock 
ery  and  sacrilegious  irony.'  How  appropriate  to  the 
subject  and  the  occasion  was  the  plaintive  language  of 
the  captive  children  of  Israel,  in  which  language  he 


OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  271 

from  whom  I  have  quoted  further  bewailed  the  sorrows 
of  his  people. 

"  'By  the  rivers  of  Babylon,  there  we  sat  down, 
yea,  we  wept,  when  we  remembered  Zion.  We  hanged 
our  harps  upon  the  willows  in  the  midst  thereof.  For 
there  they  that  carried  us  away  captive  required  of  us 
a  song;  and  they  that  wasted  us  required  of  us  mirth, 
saying,  Sing  us  one  of  the  songs  of  Zion.  How  shall 
we  sing  the  Lord's  song  in  a  strange  land?  And  well 
may  our  sorrowing  bondsmen  exclaim :  'How  shall  the 
captive  in  chains  join  in  the  anthems  of  liberty?' 

"Let  it  not  be  said  that  the  introduction  of  this 
subject  gives  a  partizan  character  to  my  remarks.  Not 
so.  It  is  a  subject  above  and  beyond  mere  partisan  con 
siderations.  It  involves  the  most  vital  interests  of  hu 
manity,  of  morals,  of  religion,  of  liberty  itself.  It  is  a 
question  that  must  be  boldly  met.  What  time,  then, 
more  appropriate  for  its  consideration  than  when,  as  is 
the  case  today,  the  whole  nation  is  in  council  and  the 
cause  of  human  freedom  is  the  subject  before  it?  Al 
though  this  giant  wrong  is  in  a  measure  beyond  our 
direct  influence,  still  it  can  be  reached  and  its  progress 
checked  indirectly,  if  it  can  not  be  entirely  eradicated. 
We  can  bring  to  bear  upon  it  the  powerful  influence  of 
a  correct  public  sentiment.  We  can  prevent  its  exten 
sion.  We  can  withdraw  from  it  the  countenance  and 
support  of  the  general  government,  and  thus  prevent 
the  reopening  of  the  infamous  African  slave  trade, 
which  is  now  so  seriously  threatened.  We  can  prevent 
wars  of  conquest  for  the  purpose  of  extending  its  area. 
In  short,  by  united,  earnest  and  persevering  effort  we 
can  restore  the  country  to  its  earlier  and  purer  faith 
and  purpose,  that  'Freedom  should  be  national,  and 
slavery,  if  it  existed  at  all,  should  be  sectional.' 

"There  have  been  other  serious  departures  from  the 
original   principles   and   purposes   of  the  government, 


272  REMINISCENCES 

which  demand  our  serious  attention.  I  can  only  glance 
at  some  of  these.  Corrupt  men  of  all  parties  have  been 
elevated  to  places  of  trust  and  responsibility.  The 
standard  of  our  national  morality  has  often  been  low 
ered  in  our  intercourse  with  other  nations.  We  have 
not  always  kept  in  view  the  great,  fundamental  prin 
ciples  of  freedom  and  equality,  which  it  is  our  especial 
mission  to  preserve  and  perpetuate.  We  have  often  as  a 
nation  disregarded  and  violated  the  immutable  princi 
ples  of  justice,  which  no  nation  or  people  may  violate 
with  impunity.  Intoxicated  with  the  consciousness  of 
our  power  and  greatness,  we  have  too  frequently  for 
gotten  that  "The  Lord,  God,  Omnipotent  reigneth/  and 
that  His  smiles  and  His  protection  are  just  as  neces 
sary  for  our  preservation  now  as  for  the  preservation  of 
our  fathers  when  He  led  them  through  the  danger  and 
peril  and  darkness  of  the  Revolution  to  victory  and  in 
dependence. 

"The  length  to  which  my  remarks  have  extended 
admonishes  me  that  I  must  bring  them  to  a  close.  A 
few  additional  remarks  upon  our  duty  as  American 
citizens,  and  I  am  done. 

"The  institutions  of  freedom  founded  by  our  fath 
ers,  have  descended  to  us,  not  only  to  be  enjoyed  by  us 
but  to  be  preserved,  enlarged,  improved,  and  finally  to 
be  transmitted  unimpaired,  strengthened  and  perfected, 
to  our  posterity.  WTe  have  but  a  life  estate  in  them,  it 
is  true,  the  reversionary  interest  being  in  our  children 
and  our  children's  children  to  the  remotest  ages;  but  we 
are  now  the  stewards  of  this  precious  inheritance,  and 
upon  us  rests  the  solemn  responsibility  of  preserving  it 
inviolate  and  intact  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  are  to 
succeed  us  on  the  stage  of  action. 

"This  responsibility  is  not  confined  to  our  posterity, 
or  to  those  who  may  hereafter  live  beneath  the  flag  of 
our  own  country.  It  extends  to  all  mankind;  for  the 


OP  THE  CIVIL  WAR  273 

principles  of  true  liberty  which  we  profess,  if  fully  il 
lustrated  and  carried  out  in  our  individual  and  national 
life,  will  in  due  time  radiate  throughout  the  whole 
earth,  carrying  with  them  destruction  to  tyranny  and 
deliverance  to  the  oppressed,  elevating  and  ennobling 
humanity,  and  beautifying  the  world. 

"All  mankind  then  are  deeply  interested  in  this 
sacred  trust.  And  when  impartial  history  shall  have 
recorded  the  manner  in  which  we  have  discharged  its 
sacred  obligations,  the  verdict  of  the  world  will  be  ren 
dered  upon  our  acts. 

"But  the  true  patriot  requires  no  such  considera 
tion  as  this  to  prompt  him  to  his  duty.  To  him  freedom 
is  a  living,  practical  reality,  and  he  loves  it  for  its  own 
sake.  He  loves  it  because  he  knows  that  the  enjoyment 
of  it  is  the  only  condition  adapted  to  man's  greatest 
prosperity  and  happiness,  and  to  his  highest  moral  and 
intellectual  development. 

"He  has  a  burning  desire  that  everything  which 
interferes  with  its  full,  complete  and  perfect  enjoyment 
be  swept  away,  and  that  all  kindreds  and  people  and 
nations  and  tongues  should  speedily  become  the  recipi 
ents  of  its  blessed  influences.  And  when,  with  some 
thing  akin  to  prophetic  vision,  he  looks  into  the  future 
and  obtains  a  glimpse — faint  though  it  may  be — of  the 
peace  and  glory  and  happiness  ineffable  that  shall  reign 
over  all  the  earth  when  the  triumphs  of  freedom  shall 
be  consummated,  his  soul  yearns  for  its  speedy  ac 
complishment  and  the  sublime  invocation  of  the  poet 
Heber,  though  upon  another  theme,  expresses  the  swell 
ing  emoMons  of  his  heart : 

"  'Waft,  waft,  ye  winds,  the  story 

And  you,  ye  waters,  roll ; 
'Till,  like  a  sea  of  glory, 

Tt  spreads  from  pole  to  pole.' 


274  REMINISCENCES 

"And  these  sentiments  and  aspirations,  stirring  the 
very  depths  of  his  soul,  become  vital,  permanent  prin 
ciples  of  action,  and  prompt  him  to  the  faithful  and  un 
tiring  discharge  of  a  patriot's  duty. 

"So  may  it  be  with  us!  So  may  it  be  with  every 
American  citizen !  May  the  contemplation  of  these  sub 
jects,  and  a  just  appreciation  of  the  solemn  obligations 
of  American  citizenship,  sink  deep  into  our  hearts! 
With  a  zeal  that  knows  no  change,  with  a  courage  that 
never  falters,  and  a  faith  that  knows  no  doubts,  with 
united  heart  and  purpose,  by  every  instrumentality 
within  our  reach,  by  fostering  education,  by  promoting 
virtue,  by  encouraging  industry,  and  above  all  by  the 
proper  use  of  a  freeman's  peaceful  but  all-powerful 
weapon,  the  ballot,  let  us  labor  to  purify  our  own  insti 
tutions  from  every  taint  of  oppression  and  wrong  and 
corruption,  and  for  the  triumph  of  freedom  throughout 
the  world. 

"Let  us  labor  to  hasten  the  coming  of  that  auspici 
ous  day  when  the  patriot's  work  shall  be  done,  when 
wrong  and  oppression  shall  cease,  and  the  whole  earth, 
purified,  redeemed  and  free,  shall  rejoice  in  the  glorious 
sunlight  of  liberty  forever." 


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